22-8-2023 (KUALA LUMPUR) A team of experts from the United States has arrived in Malaysia to assist in the investigation into the tragic crash of a Beechcraft 390 aeroplane that claimed the lives of 10 individuals.
Shah Alam’s Officer-in-Charge of Police District (OCPD), Assistant Commissioner Mohd Iqbal Ibrahim, confirmed that the team of experts arrived in Malaysia on Sunday and visited the crash site in Elmina township.
“They will be here for seven to 10 days. We believe the investigation process will take some time as various small components are still at the crash site,” ACP Mohd Iqbal stated.
In addition to the foreign experts, representatives from the aircraft company and an insurance firm in Singapore, along with eight personnel from the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), were also present at the crash site. All evidence will be transported to an aircraft hangar for analysis.
ACP Mohd Iqbal revealed that the AAIB has taken over the investigation and evidence gathering process to determine the cause of the crash.
According to Bernama, Transport Minister Anthony Loke disclosed that the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of the ill-fated plane had been sent to a laboratory in Singapore for analysis.
“Since we do not have the equipment to retrieve the data, the memory puck of the (charred) device was sent to Singapore on Sunday,” Minister Loke stated during a press conference in Putrajaya.
He added that data from the final 30 minutes of the recording would be extracted with assistance from Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau.
Loke further announced that the preliminary investigation report into the crash, prepared by AAIB with support from the United States National Transportation Safety Board, would be released within a month.
On August 17, the Beechcraft 390 Premier 1 aircraft, en route from Langkawi to Subang, crashed onto the Guthrie Highway. The tragic incident claimed the lives of the two pilots and six passengers on board, including Pahang state executive councillor Datuk Seri Johari Harun, as well as two road users, an e-hailing driver, and a food delivery rider.
