'Double Six' plane crash: No objection to Aussie govt releasing their report, says Transport Minister

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has no objection for the Australian authorities to release their report on the “Double Six” plane crash that killed 11 people including the then Sabah chief minister, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

“We have no problem with the Australian authorities releasing the report. And the Australian side is prepared to release it from their end,” he said to reporters on Thursday (April 13).

ALSO READ: 'No sabotage' in crash, says declassified Double Six report

Loke said both the Malaysian and Australian governments had communicated on the issue.

“They have asked for our opinion and approval to release the report. As far as we are concerned, we have no objection. It is up to them. We have no issue with them releasing it,” he said.

The government had declassified the final report on the accident, stating that there was no foul play in the crash that killed 11 people in Sabah back in 1976.

Instead, the report disclosed on Wednesday (April 12) said that errors by the pilot Capt Gandhi Nathan could have led to the tragedy.

ALSO READ: 'Double Six' crash report: Too many questions, not enough answers for now

The errors included not having an even spread of the load within the plane, moving the centre of gravity well outside the “approved aft limit”.

The report also said the pilot could have been tired after working beyond his stipulated hours.

It said there was no evidence of sabotage, fire or explosion in the incident that also killed Tun Fuad Stephens, who had become Sabah’s chief minister just 53 days earlier.

Others who perished in this crash were state ministers Datuk Salleh Sulong, Datuk Peter Mojuntin and Chong Thien Vun, state assistant minister Darius Binion, Sabah Finance Ministry permanent secretary Datuk Wahid Peter Andu, Isak Atan (private secretary to Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who was then finance minister), director of the state economic planning unit Syed Hussein Wafa, Kpl Said Mohammad (bodyguard to Fuad), Fuad’s eldest son Johari and the pilot.

The nearly five-month investigation by the Department of Civil Aviation back then was never made public as the government classified it under the Official Secrets Act.

The only official statement on the crash came on Oct 28, 1976, from then deputy transport minister Mohd Ali Sharif, who said the crash was due to pilot error and overloading.

He had also dismissed sabotage or any aircraft mechanical fault.