A Fire and Rescue Department helicopter monitoring highway traffic crashed at the Bukit Lada rubber estate of Kuala Kaung Felcra near Lanchang at about 10am today, injuring the three people on board.

Temerloh police chief ACP Ahmad Fadzillah Mohamed identified the trio as pilot captain Roslan Aziz, 30, who was badly injured, air quartermaster Asrul Mohd Nordin, 33, and co-pilot Khairil Azuzn Jamaluddin, 30.

He said the three Fire and Rescue personnel had set off in the Augusta A109E helicopter of the Fire & Rescue Unit based at Subang to monitor traffic flow on the East Coast Expressway.

Ahmad Fadzillah said Roslan suffered a neck injury and had been admitted to the intensive care unit of the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Hospital in Temerloh.

The two others were also being treated at the same hospital, he added.

The helicopter went down during heavy mist, he said.

He said the police and Fire and Rescue personnel were conducting investigations at the site of the crash.

Helicopter spins before crashing

The helicopter twirled before it crashed landed in a rubber estate at Bukit Lada, Felcra Kuala Kaung, said an eyewitness.

Road construction line leader Khamis @ Wahab Yaakob, 60, said he had just started his duty at about 10am when he heard a helicopter coming and saw it twirled before crashing into rubber trees on a hill, about 200 metres away.

Khamis said he could not see the helicopter earlier as heavy fog enveloped the area and the crash site was close to the East Coast Expressway.

"I headed for the crash site on my motorcycle and saw three injured Fire and Rescue personnel had already untangled themselves from the wreckage.

"All of them were injured, one of them seriously with a three branch stuck in his neck.

"One of them then asked me about the location of the crash. I told them that I would get help from Felcra Kuala Kaung manager and report the mishap to the Mempatih police station," he told reporters at the scene.

Pahang MB visits firemen

Khamis, who is also Felda Bukit Tamah settler, said several Felcra employees came to the aid of the firemen and took them to the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Hospital in Temerloh.

Meanwhile, Khairil Azuan's mother Fatimah Sidin said her son himself called her about the mishap at about 11.30am.

"I almost fainted but I am thankful as he did not suffer serious injuries," she said, adding that Khairil Azuan had been working with the department for four years.

Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob visited the firemen.

Khairil Azuan and Asrul declined comments about the mishap.

- Bernama