10 killed after 2 Malaysian military helicopters collide in mid-air

[kobayashiGT]

Source: https://www.todayonline.com/world/10-killed-after-2-malaysian-military-helicopters-collide-mid-air-2409031

KUALA LUMPUR — Two Malaysian military helicopters collided and crashed during a training session on Tuesday (April 23), killing all 10 crew onboard, the country's rescue agency said.

Footage shared online showed several helicopters flying low in formation over the Lumut naval base, located about 160km from the capital Kuala Lumpur.

The helicopters were participating in a flypast rehearsal ahead of Naval Day celebrations in May.

One chopper was seen clipping the rear rotor of another, causing both to go into a tailspin and crash.

"The two helicopters collided during flight training," said Mr Suhaimy Mohamad Suhail, senior operations commander from the fire and rescue department, adding that all 10 crew members on board were confirmed dead by medical officers.

The two aircraft involved were a Eurocopter AS555SN Fennec and an AgustaWestland AW139, the rescue agency said.

Photos showed the Eurocopter model heavily mangled in the wreckage on the naval base stadium track with rescue personnel surrounding it as well as various debris.

The AgustaWestland helicopter crashed at the naval base's swimming pool area.

'NATIONAL HEROES'

 

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim sent his condolences to the families of the victims, saying "the nation mourns the heart-wrenching and soul-wrenching tragedy".

"I was informed that an immediate investigation will be carried out by the Ministry of Defence, especially TLDM (Royal Malaysian Navy), to find the cause of the crash," he said.

Malaysia's King Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar also shared condolences.

"Queen Zarith and I feel very sad over the loss of national heroes in this tragedy," he said in a social media post.

Helicopter crashes are not uncommon in the Southeast Asian nation.

Last month, all four people onboard a Malaysian coast guard helicopter were rescued after it crashed in the Strait of Malacca.

The helicopter was on a training flight when it plunged into the waterway, a narrow shipping lane which runs between Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. 

Two people were killed in 2020 when a pair of helicopters from the same Malaysian pilot school collided during a training flight, according to authorities.

In 2016, a deputy minister was among those who died after a Eurocopter AS350 crashed in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. AFP

 

[BanCoe]

Luckily no collateral damage on ground as they were all lined up too near it

[Jamesc]

Anything Japan can do, Boleh also can do.

Look East policy.

[Beanoyip]

Even auto rotation can't save them.. RIP..

[Playtime]

i dunno....maybe its camera angle... but they looked awfully close in when the video started.

[ER-3682]

I wonder the Helicopter's Pilots Training..got pass or not.?

[Davidklt]

On 4/24/2024 at 12:49 PM, ER-3682 said:

I wonder the Helicopter's Pilots Training..got pass or not.?

Maybe it was a mechanical failure that the chopper went out of control.

[ER-3682]

On 4/24/2024 at 1:03 PM, Davidklt said:

Maybe it was a mechanical failure that the chopper went out of control.

Could be,i heard most RMAF Fighter Jets & Helicopters are poorly Maintainence,sometime lack of Spare Parts due to Corruptions..

Edited April 24, 2024 by ER-3682

[Beregond]

It's an accident. 10 lifes lost. Our neighbours some more. And I see alot of sg goating them.

We have our fair share of death and accident from army training. 

[macrosszero]

Yes. Butterfly effect.

A flight of RSAF Skyhawks flew into the ground in Philippines in 1979. One pilot didn’t go because he had a mechanical.

In 1997 that pilot was in control of a SilkAir 737 that dove into a river in Sumatra.

Edited April 24, 2024 by Macrosszero

[kobayashiGT]

On 4/24/2024 at 1:26 PM, Beregond said:

It's an accident. 10 lifes lost. Our neighbours some more. And I see alot of sg goating them.

We have our fair share of death and accident from army training. 

nth to goat about lah. 10 lifes leh. During a Naval parade somemore. 

[Beregond]

On 4/24/2024 at 2:35 PM, kobayashiGT said:

nth to goat about lah. 10 lifes leh. During a Naval parade somemore. 

In other social media. Some of the comment from sg is really😮‍💨

[SGCMmadman]

R.I.P. to the families.

Lost an ex school mate in the RSAF superpuma crash in taiwan. 

[Atonchia]

On 4/24/2024 at 1:19 PM, ER-3682 said:

Could be,i heard most RMAF Fighter Jets & Helicopters are poorly Maintainence,sometime lack of Spare Parts due to Corruptions..

Someone even sold a jet engine somewhere right?

[Atonchia]

Our fatal crash happened in USA during low level night flight of F16. Possibly Due to G-LOC or due to spatial disorientation. Lost a friend and a good pilot. So it's ruled as human factor. 

Accidents does happen.

If it's mechanical then it's likely link to human error during maintenance or repair. 

[Atonchia]

On 4/24/2024 at 2:12 PM, macrosszero said:

Yes. Butterfly effect.

A flight of RSAF Skyhawks flew into the ground in Philippines in 1979. One pilot didn’t go because he had a mechanical.

In 1997 that pilot was in control of a SilkAir 737 that dove into a river in Sumatra.

That's was because we did our own upgrade modification, change F18 engines to A4 airframe. GE F404 engine probably too powerful and heavy for the airframe. So all parameters were different from original engine settings. 

There was one crash near Tengah that killed a civilian in her house.

[macrosszero]

On 4/24/2024 at 6:47 PM, Atonchia said:

That's was because we did our own upgrade modification, change F18 engines to A4 airframe. GE F404 engine probably too powerful and heavy for the airframe. So all parameters were different from original engine settings. 

There was one crash near Tengah that killed a civilian in her house.

You got it wrong. Almost all the incidents happened before the re-engining of the A-4S using the non-afterburning version of the F/A-18 Hornet’s engine to create the Super Hornet. Since that upgrade the Super Skyhawk proved to be a reliable aircraft.

[Atonchia]

On 4/24/2024 at 6:56 PM, macrosszero said:

You got it wrong. Almost all the incidents happened before the re-engining of the A-4S using the non-afterburning version of the F/A-18 Hornet’s engine to create the Super Hornet. Since that upgrade the Super Skyhawk proved to be a reliable aircraft.

I thought it was during the transition? 

So it's the old engine towards the end of operational life when those crashes occur?

Edited April 24, 2024 by Atonchia