Deviation from course primary cause of Navy helicopter midair collision
Source: Daily Express Sabah
PETALING JAYA: The final report by an investigation board established by the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) has found that the Fennec (M502-6) helicopter's deviation from its course was the primary cause of the collision between two helicopters in Lumut last month.
According to a statement by RMN, the investigation board concluded that the Fennec helicopter was not at the designated altitude and direction, and had entered the path of the AW139 helicopter.
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"The secondary factor was that the crew members of the AW139 helicopter were too focused on changing direction and could not react quickly enough to avoid the collision," it said.
"This final report is consistent with the preliminary report issued earlier. This report will also be sent to the State Airworthiness Authority for record-keeping."
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The crash, which occurred on April 23 during a rehearsal for the navy's 90th anniversary event, claimed the lives of all 10 crew members on board the helicopters.
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In the statement, RMN said the investigation board reiterated that all crew members involved were in good health and qualified to operate the aircraft.
"The autopsy report confirmed that there were no issues of hypoglycemia or signs of fatigue among the aircrew members, and no use of illicit substances," it said.
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"No elements of mental illness were recorded or identified. All aircrew members involved were medically certified as fit to fly.
"The cause of death for all 10 victims was determined to be multiple injuries due to aviation crash."
RMN also said the board had found that the weather conditions were suitable for flight operations, and that maintenance work on both aircraft was conducted according to original equipment manufacturer procedures.
Both the AW139 and Fennec helicopters were declared airworthy on the day of the incident.
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