The Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe, has appointed a seven-member Special Investigation Committee to conduct a detailed inquiry into the crash of a Hongdu K-8 aircraft this morning.
The K-8 aircraft, used for advanced pilot training by the No. 05 Fighter Squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force Base in Katunayake, crashed during a training exercise in the Wariyapola Padeniya area, Kurunegala.
The aircraft took off from Katunayake Air Force Base at around 7:27 a.m., and the accident occurred at approximately 7:55 a.m.
According to the Air Force, both pilots on board safely ejected and parachuted into the premises of Minuwannet College in Padeniya, Kurunegala.
The Air Force confirmed that the Chief Training Instructor Pilot and the Training Pilot Officer were on board the aircraft. Both officers have been admitted to the Kurunegala National Hospital for treatment.
