 4R-ULD, the aircraft involved, seen atParis–Le Bourget Airport in November 1983 | |
| Bombing | |
|---|---|
| Date | 3 May 1986 (1986-05-03) |
| Summary | Bombing |
| Site | |
 | |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Lockheed L-1011-100 TriStar 100 |
| Aircraft name | City of Galle |
| Operator | Air Lanka |
| IATA flight No. | UL512 |
| ICAO flight No. | ALK512 |
| Call sign | AIRLANKA 512 |
| Registration | 4R-ULD |
| Flight origin | London-Gatwick Airport,London, United Kingdom |
| 1st stopover | Zurich Airport,Zurich, Switzerland |
| 2nd stopover | Dubai International Airport,Dubai, UAE |
| Last stopover | Bandaranaike International Airport,Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Destination | Malé International Airport (now Velana International Airport),Malé, Maldives |
| Occupants | 148 |
| Passengers | 128 |
| Crew | 20 |
| Fatalities | 21 |
| Injuries | 41 |
| Survivors | 127 |
Air Lanka Flight 512 was anAir Lanka (now SriLankan Airlines) flight fromLondon Gatwick Airport viaZurich andDubai toColombo (Bandaranaike International Airport) andMalé,Maldives (Malé International Airport, nowVelana International Airport). On 3 May 1986, theLockheed 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 British, 2 West German, 3 French, 2 Japanese, 2 Maldivian, and 1 Pakistani. 41 people were injured.[1]
Boarding of the flight had been delayed due to the aircraft being damaged during cargo / baggage loading.[2] During boarding, a bomb, hidden in the aircraft's 'Fly Away Kit' (a collection of small spare parts[3]), exploded.[4] The bomb had been timed to detonate mid-flight; the delay likely saved many lives.
TheSri Lankan government concluded that the bomb was planted by theLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (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 theBlack Tigers, the suicide wing of LTTE.[1][5]
Among the dead was the British wildlife artist Mouse MacPherson, her husband Tim and young daughter Iona.[6]
