PETALING JAYA: Australia is presently working through its domestic legal process to release its reports on the 1976 "Double Six" plane crash, says Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia Justin Lee.
Lee also said the Australian government was cooperating with Putrajaya on the release of the 1976 plane crash report.
ALSO READ: 'Double Six' plane crash: Declassified report did not provide answers, say victims’ families
"The Australian Government has been working closely with Malaysia to release reports related to the 1976 Sabah Air Nomad crash.
"Australia is currently working through a domestic legal process to release the Australian records," Lee told The Star when contacted on Thursday (April 13).
Lee also said that Australia acknowledged the 1976 plane crash as a tragic incident.
"We honour the memory of those who have lost their lives and the enormous loss felt by the loved ones," said Lee.
ALSO READ: Copies of official 'Double Six' crash report given to victims' families
Family members of those who died in the 1976 plane crash have called on the Australian government to release all of its reports on the "Double Six" investigations.
Faridah Stephens, daughter of former Sabah chief minister Tun Mohd Fuad Stephens said the Australian reports might bring closure to all of those who lost their loved ones in the crash.
On Thursday (April 13), Transport Minister Anthony Loke said Malaysia had no objection for the Australian authorities to release their report on the "Double Six" plane crash that killed 11 people, including the then Sabah chief minister.
Loke also said both Malaysian and Australian governments had communicated on the issue.
On Wednesday (April 12), Putrajaya declassified the final report of the accident, stating that there was no foul play in the crash that killed 11 people in Sabah in 1976.
The declassified report said that errors by pilot Capt Gandhi Nathan could have led to the tragedy.
The errors included not having an even spread of the load within the plane, moving the centre of gravity well outside the "approved aft limit".
Stating that there was no evidence of sabotage, the report also said the pilot could have been too tired after working beyond his stipulated hours.
Others who perished in this crash were state ministers Datuk Salleh Sulong, Datuk Peter Mojuntin and Chong Thien Vun, state assistant minister Darius Binion, Sabah Finance Ministry permanent secretary Datuk Wahid Peter Andu, Isak Atan (private secretary to Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who was then finance minister), director of the state economic planning unit Syed Hussein Wafa, Kpl Said Mohammad (bodyguard to Fuad), Fuad’s eldest son Johari and the pilot.
