Sarawak to review aviation safety after deadly chopper crash

The Sarawak government will engage aviation authorities to determine whether additional safety measures are needed following Tuesday’s Flying Doctor Service helicopter crash at Long Lellang in Baram.

Sarawak transport minister Lee Kim Shin said a review should be undertaken based on the findings and feedback from the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) and other authorities.

Lee said the state government would wait for their findings before deciding whether safety measures should be strengthened.

“We will obtain the reports from CAAM and the relevant parties. We will study and discuss what needs to be done or added so that safety can be further enhanced,” he told reporters here today.

He said any changes to aircraft operations must comply with aviation regulations and receive the necessary approvals.

Lee urged the public not to speculate on the cause of the accident, saying this should be determined through the official investigation by CAAM and other authorities.

He said the immediate priority after the crash was to assist the victims’ families and ensure recovery and other procedures were carried out as quickly and respectfully as possible.

Five people, comprising the pilot, a medical officer, a medical assistant and two nurses, were killed when the BO-105 helicopter crashed near the Long Lellang short take-off and landing airport on Sept 8.

The Flying Doctor Service in Sarawak has since been grounded, while Layang-Layang Aerospace grounded its BO-105 helicopters and other aircraft equipped with Rolls-Royce 250 engines following the crash.

Lee said air services such as the Flying Doctor Service remained essential to Sarawak because many communities in the state’s remote interior have limited access to healthcare.

He said the service had operated for a long time and remained a necessity for rural residents who would otherwise face difficulties obtaining medical services.

He also said operations at the Long Lellang STOLport would be subject to clearance from CAAM and airport authorities.