In a harrowing incident off the coast of Pulau Angsa, Selangor, an AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter, operated by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM), was forced to make an emergency descent into the sea approximately 5 nautical miles from shore earlier today.
In a statement released today, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) has confirmed the earlier reports of a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) helicopter, an AW139 model with registration number M72-01, crashing into the waters near Pulau Angsa, Klang, Selangor.
The incident took place on the morning of Tuesday, 5 March 2024.
The aircraft, on a routine training flight, had taken off from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang, Selangor at 9:10 am.
The Kuala Lumpur Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (KLARCC) at the Kuala Lumpur Air Traffic Control Centre (KLATCC) lost contact with the aircraft at 9:20 am. Notably, there was no distress call made by the aircraft.
All four individuals aboard the helicopter, including the pilots, were safely rescued with no injuries reported, thanks to the prompt action of a rescue helicopter.
They were back on terra firma by 10:58 am, having landed at Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport.
CAAM’s CEO, Dato’ Captain Norazman bin Mahmud, has indicated that the MMEA will conduct a thorough investigation to ascertain the cause of the crash.
The aviation community has lauded the swift rescue operations and is relieved that the incident did not result in any loss of life.
Further updates and findings from the investigation are awaited.
