On Tuesday, a tragic incident occurred during a training session when two Malaysian military helicopters collided and crashed, resulting in the loss of all 10 crew members on board. The country’s rescue agency confirmed the fatalities.
“During a flight training session, the two helicopters collided, resulting in the tragic loss of all 10 crew members. Medical officers have confirmed the fatalities,” stated Suhaimy Mohamad Suhail, the senior operations commander from the fire and rescue department.
Two military helicopters collided into each other in midair in Lumut, Malaysia.
The Perak fire and rescue department has confirmed that 10 people died after two Royal Malaysian Navy helicopters collided and crashed in Lumut, Perak.
Royal Malaysian Navy has confirmed that two… pic.twitter.com/XhWdCrM1G0
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) April 23, 2024
Online videos captured the sight of multiple helicopters flying in formation at a low altitude over the Lumut naval stadium during a flypast rehearsal. This practice was in preparation for the navy fleet’s upcoming open day celebrations in May.
During the incident, one of the helicopters collided with the rear rotor of another, resulting in both aircraft spiraling out of control and ultimately crashing.
According to the rescue agency, both helicopters in the incident were identified as a Eurocopter AS555SN Fennec and an AgustaWestland AW139.
The Eurocopter model was severely damaged in the wreckage on the naval base stadium track, with rescue personnel and debris nearby.
The AgustaWestland helicopter accident occurred in the vicinity of the naval base’s swimming pool.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed his sympathies to the families of the victims, emphasizing that the entire nation grieves over this deeply saddening and soul-stirring incident.
“I was informed that an immediate investigation will be carried out by the Ministry of Defense, especially TLDM (Royal Malaysian Navy), to find the cause of the crash,” he said.
Helicopter incidents are relatively frequent in the Southeast Asian country. Just last month, a Malaysian coast guard helicopter crashed in the Strait of Malacca without any fatalities.
Back in 2016, a Eurocopter AS350 crash in the Malaysian state of Sarawak resulted in the unfortunate death of a deputy minister.
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