KUALA LUMPUR: The tragic crash involving two Royal Malaysian Navy helicopters on April 23 in Lumut was mainly caused by the Fennec aircraft that was not flying at the set height and path and entering the flight path of the second helicopter, says Navy chief Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Ayob.
The board of inquiry into the crash also concluded that the secondary factor was the “channelised attention” of the crew of the second helicopter – an AW139 – who were focused on changing course, thereby limiting their reaction to avoid the collision, he said.
Abdul Rahman said the investigation team did not find data that connected the incident to any human error on the part of the Fennec crew as there was no black box on the aircraft.
“What we can conclude is that Fennec was not at the set height and flight path,” he told a press conference yesterday to announce the release of the final report on the crash.
He added that the full report tallies with the preliminary report that had been issued previously.
The Maritime Operations helicopter (HOM-AW139) carrying seven personnel and the Eurocopter AS555SN Fennec with three crewmembers were rehearsing for the Navy’s 90th anniversary celebration.
All 10 personnel on board the two helicopters were killed in the crash at the naval base in Lumut.
The Fennec helicopter crashed into the swimming pool in the sports complex, while the AW139 crashed into the stadium.
Clearing the air: Abdul Rahman showing a video footage of the day of the incident during a press conference at KD Sri Gombak. — ONG SOON HIN/The Star
Abdul Rahman said the investigation board found there was no issue of hypoglycemia or signs of fatigue among the crew and no use of prohibited substances.
He said the AW139 helicopter did not experience any mechanical problem based on analysis of its black box.
“The same can be said for Fennec based on visual and sound analysis,” he added.
He said the maintenance of both aircraft was done according to procedures and routines set by the original equipment manufacturer, while fuel, oil and lubricant samples were found to be normal.
“The weather on the day of incident was good and suitable for flight,” he added.
He said the AW139 helicopter’s black box was retrieved for investigation while for the Fennec, which did not have a black box, the flight profile was reconstructed through flight simulation using a real helicopter.
He said the board of inquiry also obtained cooperation, expertise and insights from the helicopter manufacturers, Leonardo Helicopter and Airbus Helicopter, to assist in the investigation.
Abdul Rahman also showed a seven-second videoclip showing moments before the Fennec and AW139 crashed. The video showed seven helicopters that were taking part in an air formation exercise during a rehearsal for the 90th Naval Day.
He said the wreckage of the two helicopters is still stored at the naval base in Lumut for further examination.
The Navy, he added, is evaluating options to replace the two critical assets for operations, either through the acquisition of new assets or via leasing.
On the welfare of the victims’ families, Abdul Rahman said the navy has disbursed all compensation payments and group insurance payouts to the eligible beneficiaries.
He added that pension payments have also begun to be made monthly to the relatives concerned.
“The Navy is also still receiving contributions from the public through the Lumut 24 Tragedy Fund, and distributions to the beneficiaries will be made after the fund closes in October,” he said.
