Shirantha Goonatilake
Encyclopedia
Air Commodore
Shirantha Goonatilake RWP
, RSP
, SLAF (? - 29 April 1995 ) was Sri Lankan aviator and most senior Air Force officer to be killed in action. He was the youngest son of Air Chief Marshal
Harry Goonatilake
the 5th Commander of the Air Force
from 1976 to 1981 and the brother of the current Commander of the Air Force, Air Chief Marshal
Roshan Goonatilake
.
and lead the Red formation during the famed Operation Eagle
in 1990.
He was killed on 29 April 1995 when the Avro 748
he was piloting, at the time carrying 45 armed forces personnel, was attacked by the LTTE with a MANPADS. His last words over the radio were "A missile is coming my way", giving the Air Force the first indication that the LTTE were using SAM
s. He was the Commanding Officer of No. 1 Flying Training Wing
at Ratmalana at the time of his death.
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Shirantha Goonatilake RWP
Rana Wickrama Padakkama
The Rana Wickrama Padakkama medal and bar are presented to Sri Lankan military officers and other ranks as a reward for individual or allied acts of heroism in facing the enemy and performed of their own accord.-How medal awarded:It is ordained that the decoration shall be granted to all ranks of...
, RSP
Rana Sura Padakkama
The Rana Sura Padakkama is a medal presented to members of all ranks of the Military of Sri Lanka for individual and/or associated acts of heroism in facing the enemy and performed of their own accord. The decoration is presented by the President of Sri Lanka...
, SLAF (? - 29 April 1995 ) was Sri Lankan aviator and most senior Air Force officer to be killed in action. He was the youngest son of Air Chief Marshal
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Harry Goonatilake
Harry Goonatilake
Air Chief Marshal W.D. Harry Goonetileke USP, ndc, psc, SLAF was the fifth Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force from November 1, 1976 to April 30, 1981.-Early life:...
the 5th Commander of the Air Force
Commander of the Air Force (Sri Lanka)
The Commander of the Air Force is the professional head of the Sri Lanka Air Force. The current Commander of the Air Force is Air Marshal Harsha Abeywickrama since 2011...
from 1976 to 1981 and the brother of the current Commander of the Air Force, Air Chief Marshal
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Roshan Goonatilake
Roshan Goonatilake
Air Chief Marshal Roshan Goonetilleke, RWP & BAR, VSV, USP, ndc, psc, SLAF was the Commander of the Air Force and is the Chief of the Defence Staff of Sri Lanka. Air Chief Marshal Goonetilleke has served in the Sri Lankan Air Force for more than 33 years...
.
Early life
Shirantha Goonatilake completed his education at the prestigious Royal College, Colombo and followed in the footsteps of his father and elder brother to join the Sri Lanka Air Force.Military career and death
In the 1980s Goonatilake took to flying SIAI Marchetti SF.260 as ground attack roles and gain the rank of Squadron LeaderSquadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
and lead the Red formation during the famed Operation Eagle
Operation Eagle (Sri Lanka)
Operation Eagle was a Sri Lanka Air Force operation to resupply and rescue critically wounded service personal from the old Dutch Fort of Jaffna held by the Sri Lanka Army and besieged by the LTTE on July 3, 1990...
in 1990.
He was killed on 29 April 1995 when the Avro 748
Avro 748
The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 is a medium-sized turboprop airliner originally designed by the British firm Avro in the late 1950s as a replacement for the now-aged DC-3s then in widespread service as feederliners. Avro concentrated on performance, notably for STOL operations, and found a dedicated...
he was piloting, at the time carrying 45 armed forces personnel, was attacked by the LTTE with a MANPADS. His last words over the radio were "A missile is coming my way", giving the Air Force the first indication that the LTTE were using SAM
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
s. He was the Commanding Officer of No. 1 Flying Training Wing
No. 1 Wing SLAF
No. 1 Flying Training Wing currently based at SLAF China Bay, carries out basic pilot training of the Sri Lanka Air Force. Its the oldest flying formation in the SLAF.-History:...
at Ratmalana at the time of his death.