Pilot and trainee survive light aircraft crash

IPOH: A flight instructor and a trainee are in hospital for treatment following the crash of their light aircraft near Felda Besout in Muallim.

Perak police chief Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said Capt Shahrul Imran Surea, 26, from Kuala Lumpur, suffered a broken leg while his co-pilot and trainee Ho Jia Lee, 20, from here, sustained facial injuries in the 9.30am incident yesterday.

Comm Mohd Yusri said the Muallim district police received information about the crash and went to secure the area at 9.55am.

“When the police arrived at the location, we found the Cessna light aircraft stuck in some trees.

Successful operation: Rescuers extricating the two victims from the wreckage. — Bernama

“We rescued the two victims and sent them to Hospital Slim River,” he said when met after a Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house at Kem Sultan Nazrin Shah 69 Komando in Ulu Kinta.

“Our personnel are also there to secure the crash site and ensure no members of the public enter it.”

Comm Mohd Yusri said the light aircraft, from the Layang-Layang Flying Academy, had left the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport here at 7.59am for flight training.

“It lost contact with the air control tower in Kuala Lumpur at 9.50am.

“The investigation will be conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM),” he said.

CAAM chief executive officer Captain Datuk Norazman Mahmud confirmed that a Cessna 172N Skyhawk aircraft with two persons on board had departed at 7.45am from the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport.

Crash site: The Cessna light aircraft crashed near Felda Besout in Muallim. — Photo sourced from social media

“The Kuala Lumpur Air Traffic Control Centre received its last transmission over Slim River at 9.35am.

“Overdue action was taken by the duty controller when the aircraft failed to make a position report over Bidor,” he said, adding that the Kuala Lumpur Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre was activated at 10.15am.Further investigation, he said, would be conducted by the Air Accident Investigation Bureau under the Transport Ministry.

According to Bernama, Perak Fire and Rescue Department director Sayani Saidon said the two victims were rescued from the scene.

“We received an emergency call, and a team from the Slim River Fire and Rescue Station, with the help of the Bidor Fire and Rescue Station was deployed to the scene of the incident which is 20km from the main road,” he said.