Ministry to set up team to probe copter crash

The Transport Ministry will set up an investigation team soon to identify the actual cause for an Augusta A109E helicopter of the Fire and Rescue Department to crash in a Felcra rubber estate

at Bukit Lada, Kuala Kaung in Lanchang, yesterday.

Its Minister Kong Cho Ha said the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) had been told to send its engineering and rescue teams to the crash site to carry out the investigation and security control.

“The ministry, through the DCA, will conduct a thorough investigation into the crash and announce the findings as soon as possible," he said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur today.

Kong ( left ) also thanked the Fire and Rescue Department for helping the ministry in conducting aerial monitoring using its helicopters during the Ops Raya since Sept 8.

He also expressed sympathy to the three men who were injured in the crash and hoped that they would recover from their injuries soon.

In the 10am incident, the trio - pilot Captain Roslan Aziz, 30, quartermaster Asrul Mohd Nordin, 33, and co-pilot Khairil Azuan Jamaluddin, 30 - were in the midst of monitoring the traffic flow on the East Coast Expressway from the helicopter.

In Temerloh, Housing and Local Government Minister Chor Chee Heung said the Fire and Rescue Department was not planning to suspend the service of its seven other helicopters following the crash yesterday.

In fact, he said the ongoing aerial monitoring by three Augusta A109E helicopters and four Mi17 helicopters would continue as it was a routine operation.

Chor ( right ) was speaking to reporters after visiting the victims at Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Hospital in Temerloh today.

He said the mishap was the first involving the Fire and Rescue Department’s helicopter since it started using helicopter service seven years ago.

    

“The ill-fated helicopter was also a new one and in good condition, but we will investigate the actual cause of the crash,” he said.

Chor said the investigation paper on the crash was expected to be completed by the DCA, with the cooperation of the Fire and Rescue Department, in another week’s time.

Meanwhile, co-pilot Khairil Azuan told reporters at the hospital that he was not frightened off by the incident, which almost killed him and his two colleagues.

He said when the helicopter started twirling uncontrollably, he could only say what he thought was his final prayer and be prepared for a crash.        

“When it finally crash landed, I felt dizzy but managed to get out and helped Asrul in removing Captain Roslan from the cockpit,” said the Bentong-born co-pilot.

- Bernama