Chopper crash in Cameron Highlands, third case involving aircraft this year

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 (Bernama) -- The helicopter crash in Cameron Highlands this afternoon during a flight from Kampung Gawin in Gua Musang to Ipoh is the third case involving an aircraft this year.

In the 1.15 pm incident, medical personnel from the Flying Doctor Unit (FDU) of the Kinta District Health Department (PKD) were on board the Layang Layang Aerospace Sdn Bhd-owned helicopter when it crashed near Brinchang, resulting in a nurse suffering serious injuries and five others, including the pilot, sustaining light injuries.

The first aircraft accident this year was reported on Aug 1, involving a Piper 28 light aircraft that crashed in Jalan Dr Nazrin Shah, Sungai Rokam, Medan Gopeng, Perak.

The incident claimed the life of flight instructor Fajim Juffa Mustafa Kamal, 52, while Muhammad Din Fikri Zainal Abidin, 62, who was also on the plane suffered injuries.

The second incident on Sept 13, also occurred in Perak involving Hong Kong pilot Tsz Kin Richard Chan, who died after the Eurocopter EC120B aircraft belonging to a private company he operated crashed in the Chikus Forest Reserve, Bidor.

Following is a chronology of air crashes since 2015:

• April 4, 2015: The AS3655N2 Dauphin (9M-1GB) helicopter crashed in a rubber plantation at Jalan Sungai Lalang, Kampung Pasir Baru, Semenyih killing five people, including Rompin MP Tan Sri Jamaluddin Jarjis and the pilot, Capt Clifford William Fournier.
• May 5, 2016: A Eurocopter AS350 helicopter crashed in Batang Lupar near Sebuyau, Sarawak, killing six, including Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Noriah Kasnon and Kuala Kangsar MP Datuk Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad.
• Oct 4, 2016:  A Nuri helicopter crashed on the rooftop of a building in Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Balong, Tawau, Sabah. Fourteen military personnel were injured.
• Aug 15, 2018: A Robinson R-66 chopper crashed at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, injuring two pilots.
• Feb 27, 2020: A police helicopter carrying six Air Operation Force (PGU) personnel crashed at the 14th Battalion Camp of the General Operation Force in Jalan Air Panas, Tawau. All of them survived and only one was injured.
• Nov 8, 2020: An accident involving two G2CA-type helicopters (9M-HCA & 9M-HCB) in Taman Melawati claimed the lives of two former Royal Malaysian Navy personnel Mohamed Sabri Baharom, 56, and Mohd Irfan Fikri Mohamed Rawi, 41, during flight training after departing from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (LTSAAS), Subang.

-- BERNAMA