Air Lanka Flight 512 · Bandaranaike International Airport
On May 3, 1986, Air Lanka Flight 512 (Bandaranaike International Airport). 21 people died.
- Date
- May 3, 1986
- Place
- Bandaranaike International Airport
- Operator
- SriLankan Airlines
- Killed
- 21
- Injured
- 41
- Position
- 7.181°N, 79.866°E
- Wikidata ID
- Q4698060
From Wikipedia
Air Lanka Flight 512 was an Air Lanka (now SriLankan Airlines) flight from London Gatwick Airport via Zurich and Dubai to Colombo (Bandaranaike International Airport) and Malé, Maldives (Malé International Airport, now Velana International Airport). On 3 May 1986, the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar serving 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 Britons, 2 West Germans, 3 French, 2 Japanese, 2 Maldivians, 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), exploded. The bomb had been timed to detonate mid-flight; the delay likely saved many lives.
Text from Wikipedia, “Air Lanka Flight 512”, CC BY-SA 4.0; shortened to the introduction. Authors.
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Source: Wikidata (CC0) and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Figures such as deaths are as recorded there and may differ from official reports.
