Kuala Lumpur: A crew member was injured after a Ukrainian-owned helicopter was involved in an explosion and caught fire while undergoing an engine test at an MRO hangar at Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang today.
According to information from the Airport Fire and Rescue Service (AFRS), there were four Ukrainian men, comprising the pilot, co-pilot and two crew members, at the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) hangar when the incident happened.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of operations Ashrul Riezal Asbar said the injured crew member was outside the helicopter and was struck by debris from the explosion.
He said initial investigations found that the incident happened while an engine test was being conducted after maintenance work on the helicopter had been completed.
“We received an emergency call regarding the incident at 12.30 pm.
“Upon receiving the call, five personnel and a fire engine from the Bukit Jelutong Fire and Rescue Station were dispatched to the scene, which was about three kilometres from the station,” he said in a statement.
Ashrul Riezal said that upon arriving at the scene at 12.34 pm, the operations commander reported that a helicopter had been destroyed by fire following the explosion.
He said initial firefighting efforts were carried out by the AFRS together with personnel stationed at the Carbon MRO area at Subang Airport.
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), in a separate statement, said the helicopter involved was a Kamov Ka-32S, bearing the Ukrainian registration UR-CIT.
According to CAAM, the incident occurred at 12.28 pm while the helicopter was undergoing a ground engine run as part of maintenance activities.
Following the incident, the airport runway was temporarily closed, while all departing and arriving flights were suspended until further notice.
The Transport Ministry’s Air Accident Investigation Bureau is investing the incident.
