The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) yesterday suspended all flight operations of the Sakurai Aviation Ltd., with immediate effect until further notice.

The move comes following the two incidents reported on 22 and 27 December involving 4R-ASJ Piper PA 38 and 4R - GAF Cessna 172 aircraft.

“By virtue of the powers vested in me under the Section 38 of the Civil Aviation Act No. 14 of 2010, operations of the entire fleet of aircraft under your organisation are hereby suspended with immediate effect until further notice,” CAA Director-General Capt. Themiya Abeywickrama said in a letter to the Sakura Aviation Ltd. yesterday.

Sri Lanka Air Force Spokesperson Group Captain Dushan Wijesinghe said all four passengers on board the aircraft, including two pilots and a foreign couple, sustained injuries and were hospitalised yesterday.

They were flying from Sigiriya to Koggala, and encountered an issue enroute, forcing the pilots to make an emergency landing in Kimbulapitiya – Katunayake.

Last week, another light training aircraft belonging to the same company made an emergency landing in Payagala beach.

The trainee pilot and instructor were inside the aircraft at the time of the incident, and none of them were injured.

 

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