Nuri crash: 3 dead, 7 safe
KUALA LUMPUR: Three Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) personnel were killed when a Nuri helicopter crash-landed 15km from Ba’Kelalan, near the Sarawak border with Kalimantan, on Sunday.
The Nuri with 10 people on board lost contact with ground control at about 2.36pm on Sunday while en route from Miri to Ba’Kelalan. It was found yesterday at a forested area about 1,500m above sea level.
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CRASH SURVIVOR: Army chief Jen Datuk Pahlawan Mohd Azumi Mohamed listening to Pbt Mohd Fazil Ahmad’s account of the last flight of the RMAF helicopter at the Miri Hospital yesterday. Pbt Mohd Fazil said the Nuri was hit by strong winds before it was forced down during its flight on Sunday. |
It took off from Miri at 1.56pm and was reported missing after making its last radio contact with the control tower at 2.36pm while flying over Long Seridan.
A search and rescue operation involving five aircraft, including a C130 Hercules and a Beechcraft, found the missing aircraft and the people on board at 10.34am.
The statement said a board of inquiry would be set up to investigate the course of the crash.
Those killed were the pilot Mej Abdul Hadi Wahab, 41, from Kota Baru, Kelantan, co-pilot Kapt Ismaizilas Ismail, 33, of Masjid Tanah, Malacca and Quartermaster Air Sentaliah anak Jandur, 41, of Serian, Sarawak.
The seven who survived were Kapt Nurul Amir Othman, 27, and W/Officer Air II Mohd Azmi Ibrahim, 36, from the RMAF; Sjn Zakwan Md Nor, 23, L/Kpl Elias Ibrahim, 23, Pbt Mohd Fadzil Ahmad, 21, Pbt Wan Alias Kamaruddin 20 and Pbt Mohd Nor Yusuf, 21 of the Royal Malay Regiment.
In Kuala Berang, Terengganu, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said those in critical condition have been sent to Labuan while the rest were in Miri.
“We are still investigating how the crash occurred, whether it was due to a technical problem, human error or bad weather,” he told reporters after launching Barisan Nasional’s programme to adopt homes.
Najib, who is Defence Minister, offered his deepest sympathies to the families of those who died in the crash and commended the RMAF for its swift action in locating the helicopter.
The Nuri crash came just a month after a Bell 206 helicopter carrying Sarawak assistant minister Dr Judson Tagal and six others from Bario to Ba’Kelalan crashed near Gunung Murud. All seven were killed.
Asked whether the Nuri was still safe for flying, Najib said it was necessary to use the helicopter, which was first introduced into the RMAF in 1968, to ferry army personnel to patrol Malaysia’s border with Indonesia.
“That is a need that cannot be avoided. We do not want illegal immigrants, crime or any other illegal operation to occur there,” he added.
Army chief Jen Datuk Pahlawan Mohd Azumi Mohamed said it was very difficult conducting rescue operations at the site where the Nuri crash-landed because of strong winds.
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