Helicopter Crash Near TNB Project Site: Ground Crew Member Killed in Fire Incident
KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 6) – A helicopter crash near a Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) project site in Bentong, Pahang, this morning resulted in the death of a ground crew member, while the pilot survived the incident.
The Bell 206 L4 helicopter, leased and operated by MHS Aviation Berhad, caught fire while attempting to land for refueling near a hot spring pool along the old Kuala Lumpur-Bentong road. According to the Pahang Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), the aircraft lost control and overturned during landing, leading to a fatal injury to the ground crew member, an Indonesian engineer, who was struck by the helicopter’s rotor blades.
The pilot, also an Indonesian national, managed to escape unharmed, but the helicopter was completely destroyed by fire. Upon receiving an emergency call, five personnel and an officer from the Bentong Fire and Rescue Station were dispatched, arriving at the scene with a Fire Rescue Tender (FRT) at 10:52 am. Firefighters successfully extinguished the blaze using water hoses from the fire engine’s tank.
In response to the incident, TNB has ordered a temporary halt to operations involving a second helicopter that was also conducting maintenance work at the project site. The company has pledged full cooperation with authorities in the ongoing investigation.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) confirmed that the helicopter was conducting an aerial work flight. The latest update from the operator, received at 10:18 am by the Flight Information Services (FIS) at the Kuala Lumpur Air Traffic Control Centre (KLATCC), indicated that the helicopter was preparing to land at the designated landing site.
Further investigations will be carried out by the Air Accident Investigation Bureau under the Ministry of Transport Malaysia, in accordance with Part XXVI of the Civil Aviation Regulations 2016.
TNB extends its deepest condolences to the victim’s family.
-AsiaNewsToday
