Preliminary report on helicopter accident ready – Ministry

PUTRAJAYA: The Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has produced a preliminary report of its investigations into a mid-air collision involving two helicopters, 9M-HCA and 9MHCB, on November 8 in Taman Melawati, Kuala Lumpur, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong.

“This is a preliminary report and that investigation into the accident is still ongoing,” he said in a statement yesterday to update on the investigation into the helicopter collision, adding that the preliminary report was available on the Transport Ministry’s website.

Based on the synopsis of the preliminary report, the 9M-HCB crashed onto a road shoulder killing both its occupants while the 9M-HCA, although damaged, managed to execute an emergency landing in a nearby school field with both occupants uninjured.

The report said initial investigations confirmed that a mid-air collision did indeed occur.

According to the report, raw ADS-B data showed that both helicopters left Batu Dam for Klang Gates, and during transit, their path maintained a separation between 50 and 120 metres at all times, but at 11.44 am for reasons still unknown, the helicopters start to converge and collided a few seconds later.

A visual assessment at the crash site revealed that 9M-HCB descended at a very steep angle and this was ascertained by its descent through and damage to a nearby tree to the point of impact.