The fate of five people aboard a Flying Doctor Service helicopter that crashed near Long Lellang, Sarawak, remains unknown as SAR continues.
KUCHING: The status of five people aboard a helicopter that crashed near the end of the runway at Long Lellang Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) Airport this afternoon remains unknown, with haze and the remote location hampering search and rescue (SAR) efforts.
Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mohamad Zainal Abdullah said initial information showed the privately owned helicopter had been chartered for Flying Doctor Service operations covering three locations from Miri to Ba Lai, Long Siut and Long Lellang.
“An incident report was received at 3.32 pm today. The search and rescue (SAR) operation is still underway as the site is relatively remote and takes about 10 hours to reach by road from Marudi.
“Air support using a helicopter from the Kuching Royal Malaysia Police Air Wing Base could not be carried out due to the hazy conditions and because the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) did not grant flight clearance,” he said in a statement today.
Mohamad Zainal said the SAR operation currently relied on assistance from villagers, Malaysian Volunteer Corps (RELA) personnel and auxiliary police at the Long Lellang STOL airport, while security personnel were on their way to the site.
He said the identities and details of all five people on board the helicopter would be confirmed later.
Mohamad Zainal also advised the public against speculation to allow further investigations to be conducted with the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) under the Transport Ministry.
Earlier, CAAM confirmed that a BO-105 helicopter bearing registration 9M-LLF and carrying five people, including the pilot, had crashed near Long Lellang STOL airport, about 929 kilometres from Kuching.
The aviation authority said the helicopter was operating a Flying Doctor Service flight at the time of the incident.
