The Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) has appointed a five-member committee to investigate the Cinnamon Air-operated Cessna 208 Caravan (4R-CAE), which was involved in an occurrence at Gregory Lake, Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka on 07 January 2026, sources confirmed. Recovery operations at Gregory Lake were completed on the evening of 9 January, with the seaplane successfully removed from the water.
Sources indicate that the panel will include one independent investigator, three CAASL officials, and one foreign aviation specialist, reportedly from the Maldives.
International Civil Aviation Organization – ICAO Annex 13 Framework
Aircraft accident and incident investigations are governed internationally by ICAO Annex 13, which requires States to conduct investigations through an independent Accident and Incident Investigation Authority (AAIB), separate from the aviation regulator.
Under these standards, the occurrence must first be formally classified, after which a structured investigation process follows. This includes the appointment of an Investigator-in-Charge (IIC), formation of specialist technical groups, and the systematic recovery and protection of evidence from both the aircraft and the operating environment.
Annex 13 also provides for the participation of foreign Accredited Representatives, particularly from the State of Design and Manufacture of the aircraft – in this case, the United States, as the Cessna 208 is built by Textron Aviation.
Reporting Timelines and Transparency
ICAO standards require investigators to issue a preliminary report within 30 days, summarizing known facts and identifying any immediate safety issues. A final report must then be published within 12 months, detailing the causes, contributing factors and safety recommendations to prevent recurrence.
A core principle of Annex 13 is that accident investigations are conducted solely to improve aviation safety, not to assign blame or liability.
As Sri Lanka proceeds with the Gregory Lake investigation, the composition, independence, and transparency of the inquiry will be critical to ensuring international credibility and public confidence in the final findings.
