Lionair Flight LN 602
Encyclopedia
Lionair Flight 602 was a Lionair
Antonov An-24RV
which fell into the sea off the north-western coast of Sri Lanka. The aircraft departed Kankesanturai Airport
with several high ranking military officials of the Sri Lankan Army on a flight to Colombo and disappeared from radar screens just after the pilot had reported depressurization. Initial reports indicated that the plane had been shot down by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
rebels using MANPADS. All 7 crew and 48 passengers were killed. Following the downing of Flight LN 602 all civil aviation between Colombo and Jaffna was suspended for many months by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Lionair
Not to be confused with the Indonesian airline Lion AirLionair is an airline with its head office in the Asian Aviation Centre on the grounds of Ratmalana Airport in Colombo, Sri Lanka, near Colombo. It is a privately owned charter operator...
Antonov An-24RV
Antonov An-24
The Antonov An-24 is a 44-seat twin turboprop transport designed and manufactured in the Soviet Union by the Antonov Design Bureau from 1957.-Design and development:...
which fell into the sea off the north-western coast of Sri Lanka. The aircraft departed Kankesanturai Airport
Kankesanturai Airport
Jaffna Airport is the second busiest airport in Sri Lanka. SLAF Palaly is a Sri Lankan Air Force base located at the airport, near the city of Jaffna in Sri Lanka. The base was built by the RAF, as RAF Kankesanturai during World War II when B-24 Liberators of No. 222 Group RAF were based...
with several high ranking military officials of the Sri Lankan Army on a flight to Colombo and disappeared from radar screens just after the pilot had reported depressurization. Initial reports indicated that the plane had been shot down by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist and nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil...
rebels using MANPADS. All 7 crew and 48 passengers were killed. Following the downing of Flight LN 602 all civil aviation between Colombo and Jaffna was suspended for many months by the Civil Aviation Authority.