Cessna 208 accident near Nuwara Eliya, Lk, January 7, 2026
On January 7, 2026 at about 6:59 am local time, a Cessna 208, registered N4RCAE, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Nuwara Eliya. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under rules the NTSB did not record. No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 7, 2026 · about 6:59 am local time
- Place
- Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Cessna 208 · all 208s on the register
- Registration
- N4RCAE · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · rules the NTSB did not record
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Saffron Aviation Pvt LTD
The flight
- Departed from: VCBI Negombo
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.