Safety exercises ordered for helicopter operators in Malaysia

Chester Voo, CAAM CEO, said immediate action was needed to address safety concerns involving helicopter operations in the country, following a third air accident involving helicopters in less than six months. On 8 November 2020, two Guimbal Cabri helicopters collided during a training flight on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

One of the aircraft crashed, claiming the lives of former Royal Malaysian Navy officer Mohamed Sabri Baharom and Mohd Irfan Fikri Mohamed Rawi. Former Malaysia Airlines CEO Datuk Ahmad Jauhari Yahya and his passenger, Tan Chai Eian survived after their chopper made an emergency landing.

All helicopter operators in Malaysia are inspected

"CAAM wishes to clarify that all helicopter operators in Malaysia are fully inspected and are required to hold valid licences and maintenance certificates to ensure the validity of the pilots' qualification as well as the airworthiness of the helicopters," Voo said in a statement.

The Air Accident Investigation Bureau under the Transport Ministry will investigate the cause of the incident, while CAAM will carry out exercises to ensure that these risks are mitigated to prevent further incidents, Voo added. "This careful action is done in the fair execution of Malaysian regulations and most importantly, in the interest of the safety of all.”

Recently, the US Helicopter Safety Team has developed a new Recommended Practices document focusing on ‘Spatial Disorientation Induced by a Degraded Visual Environment’ and offering training and decision-making solutions.