Both pilots in perfect health, says plane crash preliminary report

KUALA LUMPUR: According to the Aircraft Accident Preliminary Report issued by the Transport Ministry Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Friday (Sept 15), there was no evidence that the pilot in the fatal air crash in Shah Alam, Selangor, was incapacitated or had physiological factors that affected his performance leading to the tragedy.

The report stated that both the pilot-in-command (PIC) and second-in-command (SIC) had sufficient rest before the flight and had no serious medical problems based on their health records and physical examinations.

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The report released on Friday stated, “According to a witness, the pilot was well the night before the accident. The witness also said that he had a good rest before the flight which departed from Langkawi.”

On Aug 17, a private aircraft, a Beechcraft Model 390 (Premier 1) bearing the registration number N28JV, crashed in Shah Alam, killing eight on board (six passengers and two flight crew members), one e-hailing driver, and a p-hailling motorcyclist.

The 60-page report also confirmed that the PIC was licensed and qualified for the flight in accordance with existing regulations and held valid medical certificates from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).

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According to the report, the PIC obtained a First Class Medical Certificate from FAA on March 24, 2023, with a limitation that he “must use corrective lenses to meet vision standards at all required distances.” The PIC also held the CAAM Medical Certificate valid from Dec 6, 2022, till Dec 31, 2023, with the limitation of “VDL – valid only with correction for defective distant vision.”

The report mentioned, “The review of the medical certificate and supporting documentation indicated that the PIC reported no significant medical concerns and the attending Designated Medical Examiner (DME) identified no significant conditions on physical examination.”

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The report further stated, “Based on available history and physical examinations, this pilot had no known medical conditions that could pose significant hazards to flight safety.”

Another finding in the report indicated that the incident occurred in the daytime with reported clear visibility of more than 10km and fine meteorological conditions with variable (VRB) winds at five knots.

However, the AAIB emphasized that the report is tentative and subject to alteration or correction if additional evidence becomes available.

In a statement, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) mentioned that the final report of the investigation will be completed no later than August next year following the Convention on International Civil Aviation (ICAO Annex 13) guidelines, which allow for a 12-month period to finalize the document after the accident. – Bernama