TAPAH: The search and rescue (SAR) operation to locate a helicopter with just a pilot on board that lost contact with the Kuala Lumpur Air Traffic Control Centre (KLATCC) before being reported missing in the Bidor area resume Monday (Sept 12) morning.
On Sunday (Sept 11) night, Perak police chief Datuk Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri had said that the SAR had been called off due to bad weather conditions and would resume at 8am on Monday.
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Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong also shared the latest updates on the SAR from the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia in a Facebook post late Sunday night.
The statement said that a Control Post on Scene would be set up at the Bidor police station and the General Operations Force have planned a ground search at Kampung Kenangan, Bidor, on Monday morning.
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Comm Mohd Yusri, meanwhile, said that control post at the Bidor police station had a total strength of 11 officers and 68 personnel, comprising the police including its air units and General Operations Force, the Fire and Rescue Department as well as the Forestry Department.
"A helicopter was dispatched at 4pm to organise a search mission in the lower Perak border area.
"We received information from people hearing an explosion at Jeram Mengkuang and some said a helicopter was flying low in the Kampung Kenangan area so the incident command centre will be set up on Monday morning in the search locations.
"Thus far, we are concentrating on the coordinates provided, in the Chikus Forest Reserve, and areas with the information provided by the public. The SAR team will narrow down the search areas on Monday,” he said.
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He said the victim's identity had yet to be ascertained but based on information from the CAAM, only one pilot was involved and there were no passengers.
It is understood that the pilot is a foreigner and that the aircraft is owned by an individual with the title of Datuk.
ALSO READ: Crashed helicopter was on private flight from Pahang, says Transport Ministry
Earlier Sunday, Dr Wee, at a press conference, said that the privately-owned Eurocopter aircraft lost contact at approximately 12.16pm and the aircraft’s last known location was a forest area near Bidor.
The helicopter was scheduled to land at Sultan Azlan Shah Airport here at 12.37pm after departing from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang, at 11.37am. - Bernama
