BENTONG HELICOPTER CRASH: SITE INVESTIGATION COMPLETED, WRECKAGE HANDED TO MHS AVIATION

KUANTAN, Feb 7 (Bernama) -- The Transport Ministry's Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has completed its Investigations at the site where a helicopter crashed on landing at Batu 9, Jalan Lama Bentong-Kuala Lumpur, according to police.

Bentong district police chief Supt Zaiham Mohd Kahar said AAIB completed its on-site work at around 3.30 pm today.

He said police and AAIB have handed over the aircraft wreckage to MHS Aviation Berhad for further action.

"I can only confirm that AAIB was present at the crash site, conducted their investigation and have completed it. As for the aircraft wreckage, my team and AAIB have handed it over to MHS Aviation Berhad," he told Bernama.

The accident involved a Bell 206L4 helicopter, which reportedly overturned and caught fire while landing to refuel.

The incident claimed the life of an Indonesian ground crew, engineer Finsen Reskey Sembiring, 27, who was struck by the helicopter’s rotor blades. However, the Indonesian pilot survived the incident.

Yesterday, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia said AAIB would conduct further investigations under Part XXVI of the Civil Aviation Regulations 2016.

Zaiham said the autopsy on the engineer was completed at Bentong Hospital at 3 pm today.

He said the hospital confirmed that the victim’s cause of death was "rotor blade crush injury of the head due to a helicopter crash".

"The victim’s body was also identified by his uncle at 3.30 pm today," he added.

A check at Bentong Hospital this afternoon found several individuals, believed to be representatives from the victim’s company, waiting to obtain the autopsy results.

However, they declined to be interviewed.

-- BERNAMA