22-8-2023 (KUALA LUMPUR) The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) recovered from the aircraft that tragically crashed near Shah Alam on August 17 will be transported to its manufacturer in Florida, United States, for further analysis, announced Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
The decision to send the CVR to its original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in Florida comes after efforts to extract data from the intact memory puck in Singapore proved unsuccessful.
Loke stated, “The Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team will return from Singapore today, August 22, to brief me on the findings before we decide on the next arrangement.”
He further explained, “We have already contacted the CVR’s original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in Florida, and they are now prepared to receive it. The plan is to dispatch the AAIB team along with the memory puck by today or tomorrow, August 23, as the OEM is best positioned to retrieve the data as swiftly as possible.”
Responding to questions about why the CVR’s voice puck was sent overseas for analysis, Loke emphasized that the primary objective was to provide prompt answers to the families of the victims.
“This is not a matter of national pride but rather ensuring that it is done expeditiously, as our priority now is to provide the victims’ families with data and answers as swiftly as possible,” he stated. “It will also serve as a lesson to guide us in making improvements and determining the necessary equipment for any potential similar incidents in the future.”
The tragic crash occurred on August 17 when a Beechcraft 390 Premier 1 aircraft, en route from Langkawi to Subang, crashed onto the Guthrie Highway at approximately 2:50 pm. The crash resulted in the loss of all eight individuals on board, as well as an e-hailing driver and a delivery rider who were on the highway at the time of the accident.
Loke reported that the aircraft’s CVR was retrieved on August 18 and subsequently sent to a Singapore laboratory on the same day after the AAIB was unable to extract data from the CVR’s memory puck.
