KUALA LUMPUR — The initial report of the crash involving the Beechcraft Premier 1 aircraft which nosedived at the expressway along Bandar Elmina, killing 10 passengers on August 17, revealed that the pilot of the ill-fated plane possessed a valid license and is qualified to carry out flights in line with present regulations.
The initial report which was released by the Transport Ministry (MOT), this morning, also revealed that the incident which occurred during daytime with fine weather and visibility reported as
more than 10km, and wind was variable (VRB) at 5 knots.
Additionally, the report’s findings revealed that there was no proof of inability or physiological factors that affected the performance of the flight crew.
The report also touched on the incident and casualties as being unavoidable due to the magnitude of the mass deacceleration and subsequent fire following the crash.
The ministry added that additional findings will be compiled in the final report which is expected to be released by August, next year.
“This is in line with Annex 13 of the Convention of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) whih allocates a 12-month period from the date of the incident to complete the said document,” the ministry added.
According to the initial report, the early analysis of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) that was recovered revealed a critical clue to exposing the cause of the accident, with focus given towards the aircraft’s flight control system.
“The decision following the examination of the relevant aircraft parts as well as components at the US-based National Transport Safety Bureau (NTSB)’s lab and the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), is required to provide a collaborative and conclusive evidence in determining the cause of the accident,” it stated.
The tragic crash on August 17 resulted in the deaths of 10 individuals, including two crew members, six passengers, one motorcyclist and a motorcar driver.
Among the victims included Pahang Local Government, Housing, Environment and Green Technology Committee chairman Datuk Seri Johari Harun.
The flight crashed two minutes before it was due to land at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang after its departure from the Langkawi International Airport.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) later said the aircraft did not make any mayday calls prior to the accident. – September 15, 2023