[UPDATED] MMEA helicopter crashes in Straits of Malacca

A HELICOPTER belonging to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has reportedly crashed near Pulau Angsa off the coast of Jeram in Selangor this morning.

Sinar Harian reported Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan as confirming the incident.

In a statement issued at 1pm, the MMEA reported that the AgustaWestland (AW) 139 helicopter with aircraft registration number M72-01 had made an emergency landing in the waters near Pulau Angsa at about 9.55am.

It said that the team on the helicopter were conducting training for rescue services at that time.

“The initial alert about the incident was received through a MERS 999 call by a fisherman who was around the scene of the incident,” said MMEA director-general Maritime Adm Datuk Hamid Mohd Amin in the statement.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) then activated a search and rescue (SAR) operation at 10.15am.

“Prior to that, the fishing boat that was at the location had provided initial assistance to the crew involved, and ten members of the Special Action and Rescue Team (STAR Team) and (navy vessel) KM Bagan Datuk were also deployed to the location to conduct security control at the scene of the incident.”

“The MMEA will conduct further investigations to identify the causes of the incident,” he added.

He also expressed the agency’s appreciation for the alert and quick action from the maritime community that helped with the SAR.

The operation was ended by CAAM at 11.15 a.m.

Meanwhile, the helicopter that made the emergency landing was flown by Maritime Lt Cmdr Tengku Mohd Nizam Tengku Zakaria and Maritime Lt Cmdr Mohamad Azrol Saidi, together with air crew consisting of Maritime Warrant Officer I John Ibno and rescue swimmer Maritime Lt Muhamad Nurhayyat Hashim.

The MMEA assets that were deployed to the location were a Coast Guard Boat 25 from Selangor, boats RH 16 and PSC 39 from the Port Klang Marine Police Force and a Dauphine AS 365N3 aircraft from the Subang Maritime Air Station.

“All AW139 crew were rescued by AS 365N3 aircraft and were flown to SUMS,” Hamid said. – The Vibes, March 5, 2024