2 INJURED IN PERAK AIRCRAFT CRASH
Flight instructor, trainee were travelling from Ipoh to Tg Karang for training
ALIGHT aircraft crashed in an oil palm plantation in Felda Gunung Besout 2 Tambahan, Sungkai, here yesterday. The incident, involving a Cessna 172N Skyhawk, is understood to have occurred at 9.55am.
The two occupants were injured.
Perak police chief Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) confirmed the incident.
The CAAM said that the aircraft, operated by Layang Layang Flying Academy, had crashed.
It said the aircraft left the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport in Ipoh at 7.54am.
The Kuala Lumpur Air Traffic Control Centre (KLATCC) received its last transmission over Slim River at 9.35am.
The CAAM added that action was taken by the air traffic controller when the aircraft failed to report its position over Bidor, when it was supposed to.
“The Kuala Lumpur Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre at the KLATCC was activated at 10.15am upon getting information on the crash to enable rescue operations.
“Both occupants on board were rescued.
“Further investigation will be conducted by the Air Accident Investigation Bureau under the Transport Ministry,” read the statement.
Bernama reported that the flight instructor and trainee of the aircraft have been identified as Captain Shahrul Imran Surea, 26, and Ho Jia Lee, 20.
Yusri said Shahrul Imran, who lives in Kuala Lumpur, is suspected of having a broken right leg while Ho, who lives in Lahat, Perak, has swelling on the right side of her face.
“The plane is from Syarikat Layang-Layang Aerospace Sdn Bhd, Ipoh.
“The plane was traveling from Ipoh to Tanjung Karang at 7.59am for flight training and turned back to Ipoh before crashing in the location at 9.30am,” he said.
Meanwhile, Perak Fire and Rescue Department director Sayani Saidon said the two victims had been rescued.
“We received an emergency call at 9.46am and a team from the Slim River Fire and Rescue Station, with the help of Bidor Fire and Rescue Station, were deployed to the scene of the incident, which is 20km from the main road.”