Absence of safety officer led to fatal helicopter crash, says report

Although the primary cause was the pilot’s judgment, the lack of supervision during refuelling led to the accident that killed an engineer.

A 27-year-old aircraft engineer was killed when he was struck by a helicopter rotor blade during “hot refuelling” in Bentong last year. (Fire and rescue department pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Inadequate supervision at the landing site was a key contributing factor to the helicopter accident in Bentong that killed an aeronautical engineer last year, according to the final air accident report released this week.

The report noted that no safety officer was present to oversee flight and ground activities during the operation, which involved refuelling the helicopter with the engine running,

“The absence of direct supervision meant there was no authoritative figure to enforce compliance with standard operating procedures, monitor crew behaviour, or intervene when unsafe practices were observed,” said the report by the Air Accident Investigation Bureau.

It stated that the primary cause of the accident was the pilot’s excessive and abrupt input on the flight controls to correct a situation after the helicopter’s right skid struck the ground during repositioning.

This led to a dynamic rollover and a post-impact fire, resulting in the death of an aeronautical engineer who was struck by the helicopter’s rotor blade.

The report also highlighted repeated breaches of standard procedures for “hot refuelling” with rotors running. Despite the known risks video evidence from the day before the accident showed clear deviations from safety protocols.

“These included the presence of ground personnel beneath the main rotor disc during landing and the premature approach of crew members before receiving clearance from the pilot,” the report noted.

It further revealed shortcomings in crew coordination and communication, with both the pilot and ground engineer demonstrating a lack of shared situational awareness and ineffective use of standard communication cues during critical phases such as landing and repositioning for refuelling.

“The continued non-compliance with safety procedures over multiple operations suggests a normalisation of deviance. Over time, repeated exposure to risk without incident may have led the crew to perceive such behaviour as acceptable, thereby eroding safety culture and increasing the likelihood of an accident,” the report said.

The bureau recommended that companies leasing aircraft ensure a safety officer is present to monitor flight operations and enforce compliance with commercial and safety requirements whenever activities are conducted at landing sites. - FMT