The Sri Lanka Air Force released details about the trainee pilot who died when the training craft PT-6 crashed on a road near Janaranjana Wewa, Kantale this afternoon.

The aircraft which took off from the China Bay airfield at around 01.05 PM today had lost radio communication with the air traffic control tower at China Bay at approximately 1.15PM before being reported to have crashed. There was no damage to public property or any other persons due to the crash.

"An SLAF Bell 212 helicopter with medical and rescue personnel was deployed immediately to the crash site. Officer Cadet Amarakoon KRSVB (Shalinda Amarakoon) who was the trainee pilot on this training flight was airlifted to the District General Hospital Trincomalee, where it was proclaimed that he had succumbed to injuries sustained during the crash," the Air Force said.

"Officer Cadet Amarakoon was a past pupil of Kegalle Maha Vidyalaya and had joined the Sri Lanka Air Force in January 2019. He had commenced his flying training in July of the same year," the SLAF also added.