Air Lanka Flight 512 was an
Air Lanka
SriLankan Airlines (formerly known as Air Lanka) is the flag carrier of Sri Lanka and a member airline of the Oneworld airline alliance. It is currently the largest airline in Sri Lanka by number of aircraft and destinations and was launched i ...
(now SriLankan Airlines) flight from
London Gatwick Airport via
Zurich and
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
to Colombo (
Bandaranaike International Airport
Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) ( si, බණ්ඩාරනායක ජාත්යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළ, translit=Bandāranāyaka Jātyantara Guvantoṭupaḷa; ta, பண்டாரநாயக்க ...
) and
Malé
Malé (, ; dv, މާލެ) is the capital and most populous city of the Maldives. With a population of 252,768 and an area of , it is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The city is geographically located at the southern ...
,
Maldives
Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...
(
Velana International Airport
Velana International Airport (VIA) (Maldivian language, Dhivehi: ) is the main international airport in the Maldives. It is located on Hulhulé Island in the North Malé Atoll, nearby the capital island Malé. The airport is well connected wit ...
). On 3 May 1986, the
Lockheed L-1011 Tristar operating the flight was on the ground in Colombo, about to fly on to Malé, when an explosion ripped the aircraft in two, destroying it. The flight carried mainly French, West German, British and Japanese tourists; 21 people were killed on the aircraft, including 3 British, 2 West German, 3 French, 2 Japanese, 2 Maldivian, and 1 Pakistani. 41 people were injured.
Boarding of the flight had been delayed due to the aircraft being damaged during cargo / baggage loading. During boarding, a bomb, hidden in the aircraft's 'Fly Away Kit' (a collection of small spare parts
[IR Fly Away Kit?]
Airliners.net; accessed 2017.04.27.), exploded.
The bomb had been timed to detonate mid-flight; the delay likely saved many lives.
The
Sri Lankan government
The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) ( si, ශ්රී ලංකා රජය, Śrī Lankā Rajaya; ta, இலங்கை அரசாங்கம்) is a parliamentary system determined by the Sri Lankan Constitution. It administers the isl ...
concluded that the bomb was planted by the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE; ta, தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள், translit=Tamiḻīḻa viṭutalaip pulikaḷ, si, දෙමළ ඊළාම් විමුක්ති කොටි, t ...
(LTTE) to sabotage peace talks between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government. They reported that a search of the aircraft the next day uncovered a parcel containing uniforms with the insignia of the
Black Tigers, the suicide wing of LTTE.
See also
*
Air Ceylon Avro 748 4R-ACJ bombing
The Air Ceylon Avro 748 4R-ACJ bombing occurred on 7 September 1978 when an Air Ceylon Hawker Siddeley HS 748 (registered 4R-ACJ) was destroyed in a fire following the explosion of a bomb in the aircraft while parked at Ratmalana Airport, Colom ...
*
Lionair Flight 602
Lionair Flight 602 was a Lionair Antonov An-24RV which crashed into the sea off the north-western coast of Sri Lanka on 29 September 1998. The aircraft departed Jaffna Airport with 48 passengers and a crew of seven; it disappeared from radar scr ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Air Lanka Flight UL512
1986 murders in Sri Lanka
Accidents and incidents involving the Lockheed L-1011
Airliner bombings
Attacks on civilians attributed to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Aviation accidents and incidents in 1986
Massacres in Sri Lanka
Improvised explosive device bombings in Sri Lanka
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam attacks against airliners
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam attacks in Eelam War I
Mass murder in 1986
Mass murder of Sinhalese
May 1986 crimes
May 1986 events in Asia
SriLankan Airlines accidents and incidents
Terrorist attacks on airports
Terrorist incidents in Sri Lanka in 1986