Mystery woman was a friend of pilot

The tourism diploma graduate was interested in becoming a pilot.

SEMENYIH: Police have confirmed that the woman killed in the helicopter tragedy here last Saturday was a friend of pilot Clifford William Fournier.

Selangor police chief Abdul Samah Mat said the woman was Aidana Baizieva, as stated in the helicopter flight register released by the Transport Ministry, but a DNA test had to be conducted before this could be confirmed.

He said tests conducted on her remains found that it was the body of a 25-year-old woman.

“Police are satisfied with the findings of the examination. However, the real identity of the victim has not yet been determined and will take some time,” he told a press conference near the crash location today.

Abdul Samah said police had gone to Aidana’s apartment in Pantai Dalam, Kuala Lumpur, to retrieve several items, documents and specimens for the DNA test to determine her identity.

“Police found evidence of the victim (Aidana’s) flight ticket to Langkawi on March 21 during the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (Lima) exhibition which had her name and that of the pilot (Fournier). He had entry access to her home,” he said.

Abdul Samah said police investigations found that Aidana graduated with a diploma in tourism at a private college here last October.

He added that police had taken statements from her friends.

“She was really interested in becoming a pilot and witnesses had seen Aidana and Fournier on helicopter rides several times together,” he said, adding that the public should not speculate about her.

If the identity of the victim remains unconfirmed, he said police would have to contact Aidana’s 75-year-old father in Kyrgyzstan to conduct a DNA test so as to determine who she is.

Abdul Samah also said the body of the American pilot was taken from the morgue at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital at 8.15pm yesterday.

“The body was claimed by a local funeral parlour and was handed over to the United States’ Embassy which will decide if it will be buried here or brought home,” he said.

Investigations into the helicopter crash which claimed the lives of six people, including Rompin MP Jamaluddin Jarjis and the Prime Minister’s principal private secretary Azlin Alias entered the fourth day today.

The AS365N2 Dauphin helicopter (call sign 9M-1GB) with six people onboard crashed into a rubber smallholding in Kampung Sungai Pening, Semenyih at 4.55pm on Saturday.

Jamaluddin’s bodyguard Razakan Seran and businessman Tan Huat Seang also perished in the crash.

– BERNAMA