KUALA LUMPUR: The preliminary investigation report into the helicopter crash in Long Lellang, Sarawak, which claimed five lives last month, is expected to be presented to the Cabinet tomorrow (Oct 16).
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) had completed its initial investigation into the Sept 8 incident involving a BO-105 helicopter registered as 9M-LLF and operated by Layang-Layang Aerospace Sdn Bhd under a Health Ministry contract.
He said preliminary findings showed that the pilot held a valid flying licence, was qualified to operate the aircraft and possessed a valid medical certificate.
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“The helicopter also had valid registration and airworthiness certificates and was confirmed airworthy at the time of departure,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today.
Loke was responding to Betong MP Datuk Dr Richard Rapu, who sought information on safety audits and inspections conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) on the helicopter operator before the fatal crash.
He said investigations were continuing, with the final report required to be completed within one year of the accident.
Loke also disclosed that CAAM had conducted a surveillance audit of Layang-Layang Aerospace’s maintenance organisation from Sept 1 to 4, just days before the crash.
The audit recorded three findings and three observations relating to workforce planning, maintenance documentation and emergency response procedures.
He said all the findings had been closed except one involving workforce calculations, which was still awaiting final verification when the crash occurred.
However, Loke stressed that the outstanding finding was organisational in nature and had no direct link to the helicopter’s technical condition or systems.
Following the accident, CAAM conducted additional inspections on other BO-105 helicopters on Sept 9 and 10, followed by checks on aircraft fitted with the same Rolls-Royce engine type from Sept 10 to 12.
The inspections found that the aircraft complied satisfactorily with scheduled maintenance requirements and applicable airworthiness directives.
Loke said the affected aircraft were allowed to resume operations only after CAAM was satisfied that the required inspections and corrective measures had been completed.
He emphasised that further technical investigations were necessary to establish the cause of the crash and that no definitive conclusions could be drawn at this stage.
“For now, we can only provide the facts established so far. The final findings will depend on the completed investigation report,” he said.