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Last contact with helicopter three minutes after flight

The last contact made by the pilot of the helicopter carrying a deputy minister and four others was made at 4.15pm, three minutes after the aircraft was airborne yesterday.

Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said the pilot informed that they were estimated to be at the Simunjan area in about 20 minutes after the 4.12pm departure.

"Before Simunjan, the air traffic controller tried to establish contact at 4.28pm but there was no response. Several other attempts were then made to contact the helicopter, at 4.29pm, 4.39pm and 4.56pm.

"But there was still no response from the helicopter," Azharuddin told reporters in Kuching today.

Pieces of debris from the helicopter were found near the Batang Lupar River in Sebuyau this morning.

Azharuddin said there were four other helicopters in the area at that time, one of them just a minute behind the missing helicopter.

"We asked them to contact this helicopter but their efforts were to no avail," he said.

After contacts were made to relevant parties and with no clues of the whereabouts of the helicopter, Azharuddin said the declaration of emergency and activation of search and rescue mission was made at 7.26pm last night.

Taskforce to handle the families

He said a taskforce had been formed to handle the families of those on aboard.

Azharuddin said investigation was ongoing and that Hornbill Skyways, the company that chartered the aircraft from the Philippines, had not been suspended from operating.

"For now we still do not know what actually happened. We have to investigate to know what actually caused the helicopter to lose contact with the control tower. Hornbill Skyways' operations are not being suspended," he said.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said the pieces of debris found included a rotation device, a seat, part of a door, part of a rotor and part of the body of the helicopter.

The prime minister confirmed that the helicopter was carrying six people, among them Plantation Industries and Commodities Deputy Minister Noriah Kasnon, her husband Asmuni Abdullah and Kuala Kangsar MP Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad.

Also on board were Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry secretary-general Sundaran Annamalai, Noriah's bodyguard Ahmad Sobri Harun and Filipino pilot Rudolf Rex Ragas.

- Bernama

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