Police confirm all bodies recovered from helicopters' crash

Saturday 18 May 2024

LUMUT (April 23): The bodies of the 10 victims involved in the mid-air collision and crash involving two helicopters at the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) base in Lumut were recovered earlier on Tuesday.

Perak police chief Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri stated that the HOM aircraft (M503-3) with seven crew members onboard crashed on the Lumut RMN Stadium racetrack, while the Fennec aircraft with three crew members crashed into the Lumut RMN Sports Complex swimming pool.

"There were no survivors in the incident. The victims comprised seven men and three women. All the bodies have been sent to the Lumut RMN Military Hospital to be identified.

"Investigations led by RMN, with the Royal Malaysian Police, and the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department are underway at the crash sites. Further details will be released later," he said during a press conference here.

Mohd Yusri added that all the victims’ family members have been notified for identification purposes and the bodies will later be sent to the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Ipoh for post-mortems.

In the 9.30am incident, the two helicopters collided mid-air and crashed during a rehearsal for the RMN’s 90th anniversary celebration scheduled for May 3 to 5.

The HOM and Fennec helicopters reportedly took off from Padang Sitiawan at 9.03am.

Chronology of helicopter crashes in Malaysia since 2015

The crash involving two helicopters at the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) base in Lumut, Perak, around 9.30am on Tuesday morning is the eighth such incident in the past nine years.

Here is a chronology of helicopter crashes in Malaysia since 2015:

April 4, 2015: An AS3655N2 Dauphin helicopter (9M-1GB) crashed in a rubber plantation in Kampung Sungai Pening, Semenyih, Selangor, claiming the lives of five passengers, including Rompin Member of Parliament, Tan Sri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis, and pilot Capt Clifford William Fournier.

May 5, 2016: An AS350 Eurocopter helicopter crashed in Batang Lupar near Sebuyau, Sarawak, resulting in the deaths of six individuals, including Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Tan Sri Noriah Kasnon, and Kuala Kangsar Member of Parliament Datuk Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad.

Oct 4, 2016: A Nuri helicopter crashed onto the roof of the Life Skills Centre of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Balong, Tawau, Sabah, injuring 14 military personnel.

Aug 15, 2018: A Robinson R-66 helicopter crashed at Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang, resulting in minor injuries of two pilots.

Feb 27, 2020: A Royal Malaysian Police helicopter, carrying six Air Operations Force personnel crashed at the 14th Battalion Camp of the General Operations Force, Jalan Air Panas, Tawau. All onboard survived, with only one sustaining injuries.

Nov 8, 2020: A helicopter crashed, claiming the lives of Mohamed Sabri Baharom, 56, of Wangsa Melawati, a former Royal Malaysian Navy officer, and Mohd Irfan Fikri Mohamed Rawi, 41, of Jalan Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu, Kelantan.

The two survivors were the former Malaysia Airlines Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, 66, and Tan Chai Eian, 51, who were aboard another helicopter, model 9M-HCA, which managed to make an emergency landing nearby.

March 5, 2024: An AW139 helicopter owned by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency crashed 5 nautical miles near Angsa Island during rescue training. Four crew, including the pilot, were reported safe in the incident around 10am.

The helicopter was piloted by Lt Commander (M) Tengku Mohd Nizam Tengku Zakaria, and Lt Commander (M) Mohamad Azrol Saidi, with Aircrew Officer Waran I (M) John Ibno and Rescue Swimmer, petty officer (M) Muhamad Nurhayyat Hashim onboard.

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