PUTRAJAYA: The sole female passenger later identified as Kyrgyz national Aidana Baizieva was not at the controls of the ill-fated helicopter before it crashed.
In fact, she was never in charge of the aircraft at any point prior to the crash, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai as he presented the preliminary report on the Eurocopter piloted by Capt Cliff Fournier.
“No. No indication at all,” Liow told reporters after presenting the preliminary report.
The transcript of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) revealed that Aidana advised Fournier on the condition of the left landing gear as it touched down with a heavy thud during an unscheduled landing at a school field in Muadzam Shah at 4.10pm.
She could be heard assuring the pilot on the condition of the landing gear.
“It’s ok...it’s a...the dirt at the back...it’s ok,” she was heard saying.
“Wheel went into the ground...it’s a soft ground there...after the rain...we are good, we are good...yes...yes,” she continued, to which the pilot responded, “wow...that was crazy.”
According to a witness, while Fournier escorted a passenger off at the school field with the main and tail rotors still running, he did not conduct any inspection of the aircraft.
After the helicopter took off again at 4.25pm, and as it approached cruising altitude, Aidana commented: “Don’t worry, we absolutely safe.”
However, Fournier did not seem to be reassured. Earlier, she had asked Fournier whether it was time to retract the landing gears after taking off from the school field for Subang.
Fournier replied that he had to leave the landing gear in its last position as he feared some damage had occurred.
He continued: “... I saw hydraulic fluid leaking and that’s why I don’t want to put them (the landing gear) up.”
At 4.31pm, the pilot made a radio call that he had passed Muadzam Shah and Bandar Tun Razak, Rompin, and was tracking for Kuala Klawang at 610m before it disappeared from radar screens at 4.52pm.
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