Despite being a relatively small country, Malaysia has witnessed some of the most devastating airplane tragedies in history, leaving behind loved ones, memories, and grieving families.
One of the most tragic aircraft accidents is the Double Six tragedy, which killed Sabah’s key leaders in 1976, including its chief minister Tun Fuad Stephens. The government will now declassify the final report on the airplane crash, giving closure to the loved ones of those who perished. Other aircraft tragedies Malaysia is known for are MH370, a plane that disappeared with 239 people on board, and MH17, a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that was shot down by Russian-controlled forces and killed 298 on board.
Let’s revisit 5 other tragic airplane crashes that happened on Malaysian soil itself.
1. Japan Airlines Flight 715
What was supposed to be a routine landing at Sultan Abdul Aziz airport on June 26, 1977 took a sharp turn. Japan Airlines Flight 715 crashed just 4 miles away from the airport while attempting to land, killing 34 people on board, including 10 crew. 45 survivors were rushed to the hospital. The cause of the crash was later determined to be a combination of bad weather and pilot error, as the crew had lost sight of the airport and descended below minimum altitude.
2. MH653
The same year, Malaysia was plunged into mourning as Malaysia Airlines Flight 653 crashed in service crashed at Tanjung Kupang, Johor, killing all 93 passengers and 7 crew on board. The Boeing 737 aircraft was hijacked by four armed men allegedly from the Japanese Red Army, who demanded they fly to Singapore.
The hijackers had fatally shot the pilot and co-pilot before plunging the aircraft into the crash site. The flight departed at 7.21PM, and crashed slightly more than an hour later. VIPs were killed including the Malaysian Agricultural Minister, Dato' Ali Haji Ahmad, Public Works Department Head, Dato' Mahfuz Khalid and Onn Jaafar, nephew of then Malaysian Prime Minister, Hussein Onn. Onn Jaafar was part of the cabin crew.
A memorial was built at the Tanjung Kupang Memorial Park, for those who perished.
3. Flying Tiger 66
The Flying Tiger 66, a cargo plane crashed near KLIA on February 19, 1989, killing all four American crew members on board. The Boeing 747 aircraft was on a flight from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur when it crashed into a hill 12km from the airport while attempting to land. The cause of the crash was later determined to be pilot error and miscommunication between air traffic control and the captain.
4. MH 2133
On September 15, 1995, tragedy struck again as Malaysia Airlines Flight 2133 crashed near Tawau, killing 34 people, two of whom were crew members. 19 people survived. The Fokker 50 aircraft was on a domestic schedule from Kota Kinabalu to Tawau. The flight was mostly uneventful until its descent when it actually managed to touch down at the airport but overran and crashed into the Sri Menanti town, 500 meters from the runway itself.
The aircraft broke into two parts and the wings snapped due to the impact, causing fuel to leak. The collision with multiple homes caused a fire to start and passengers tried to evacuate from a burning aircraft. Unfortunately, they were caught in a sudden explosion, burning those who remained. 40 homes in the town were also damaged.
The final report determined the cause as pilot error influenced by the airline’s strict- fuel-saving and punctuality policy, even though the runway available after touchdown was not sufficient enough for the aircraft to stop. The commander had assured the pilot that it would be “no problem.”
5. Royal Brunei Airlines Flight 238
On 6 September 1997, the Royal Brunei Airlines Flight 238 crashed midway up Lambir Hill in Miri, killing all 10 on board. The weather was reported to be fine. Traffic control had actually been cleared for the flight to approach the runway, but did not receive any reply from the pilot. The plane was found the next morning. Passengers included four Malaysians, two Japanese, one Singaporean, and one Sri Lankan. The crew were two Malaysian pilots. One of the Japanese victims was professor Tamiji Inoue, who was going to visit Lambir Park for an international biology project.
The investigation revealed that the cause of the crash was a combination of bad weather, pilot error, and inadequate navigational equipment.