OFFICIALS suspect sabotage or bad weather brought down a troop aircraft that crashed into the sea off western Sri Lanka yesterday, killing all 75 people on board.
Ships speeding to the scene found part of a body, an oil slick, cigarette cartons, clothing, identity cards and a fire extinguisher floating in the sea.
A surface-to-air missile attack by Tamil rebels fighting for a separate state in the north was ruled out, but a special commission of inquiry will look at the possibility of sabotage.
Commodore Jayalath Weerakkody said the Air Force considered a missile attack the least likely reason for the crash of the Russian-built twin turboprop Antonov-32 near Colombo.
'If there is one thing we can rule out, it is a missile attack. The plane was beyond missile range and going through a cloud patch,' Commodore Weerakkody said.
'Besides, it would be difficult to have a missile launcher in place for a plane which was not following its usual path.