By Muhammad Zulsyamini Sufian Suri – October 27, 2022 @ 12:25am
bhnews@bh.com.my
CAMERON HIGHLANDS: The helicopter emergency landing incident in Brinchang near Tanah Rata is said to have occurred in bad weather.
Perak Police Chief, Datuk Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri, said his department understood that the weather at the time of the incident was rainy and foggy, in addition to the wind.
He said the incident occurred in Compartment 213, Bukit Kinta Forest Reserve in the Kinta district, Perak, which is about 400 metres from the Pahang border.
The Airbus AS 355 F2 helicopter with registration number 9M-SSW, he said, was following a familiar route.
"The helicopter followed its route, but the pilot may have obtained permission from air traffic controllers to use the route over Cameron Highlands."
"The helicopter was not headed here (Cameron Highlands) because of the rain because when it arrived here the weather was not good."
"At the time of the incident the weather was bad, foggy, rainy and windy," he said in a press conference after the Carilamat (SAR) operation was completed at the Cameron Highlands District and Land Office, Tanah Rata, here, tonight.
Also present was Cameron Highlands District Officer, Syed Ahmad Khairulanwar Alyahya Syed Abdul Rahman.
Mohd Yusri said the SAR operation began as soon as the District Control Centre (DCC) received a call at 1.20pm from one of the six victims of the crash.
He said the first victim successfully brought out was
The helicopter pilot, Captain Fedzrol Norazam, 43, died at 5.35pm and was reported to be suffering from internal bleeding.
The last victim was taken out, he said, identified as Hashilawati, 48, at about 8.40 last night.
The survey found that the Incident Control Post (PKTK) involved in the incident was set up in a vegetable garden area in a hilly area.
He said the SAR operation ended at 9pm last night with all six victims, namely a pilot and five medical officers from the Air Doctor Team (PDU) of the Kinta District Health Office (PKD), Tanjung Rambutan, Ipoh, sent to Hajjah Kalsom Hospital, Tanah Rata, here to receive treatment.
Apart from Fedzrol, the other five were medical officers, namely Dr Munirah, 35; Norasyikin, 38; Hashilawati, 48; Muhamad Azlan, 31; and Zainurol Fazlan, 40; with two of them reported to be seriously injured.
Mohd Yusri added that the SAR operation did not experience any difficulties as 127 personnel were assigned to cover various agencies, namely the police, fire brigade, Forestry Department, PDRM Commando 69 and others.
He said Fedzrol's statement would be taken after he received adequate treatment and would be carried out by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).
"CAAM will also manage the procedures for removing and disposing of the aircraft wreckage after the investigation is complete."
"The investigation is being conducted by the Air Accident Investigation Bureau under the Ministry of Transport (MOT)," he said.
Source credit: BH Online