What a flight it was!

If not for yesterday's crash of the helicopter flying from Betong to Kuching, this story may not have been written but shared just with colleagues, family, and close friends.

I had flown on the same 250km Betong-Kuching route last Tuesday, in a Nuri helicopter accompanying Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and his delegation.

What a flight it was!

At about 10.30am, 30 minutes after taking off in fine weather, the aircraft encountered heavy rain and started rocking like a boat struck by strong waves.

For a moment, I felt that it swirled a couple of times in the strong wind high above the crocodile-infested Batang Lupar.

Anxiety and fear was clearly visible on the faces of the other passengers, if that could have brought me any relief.

Some were reciting verses from the Quran, others were audibly chanting the Azan during the 40 minutes or so that I regarded as an emergency in the air.

Thoughts of the helicopter crashing kept swirling in my mind.

'Experienced co-pilot'

There was some relief as the aircraft reached our destination - Datuk Amar Stephen Kalong Sports Hall - but all was not well yet.

The helicopter attempted to land - thrice, but failed.

The pilot abandoned the landing and flew on to the location of the next event, at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Beladin, just 10 minutes away but almost a two-hour journey by road.

Soon after my feet were on hard ground, I shot a few questions at the pilot and co-pilot, just to satisfy my curiosity.

They said they had been through worse conditions but admitted that we had been through a dangerous situation.

Their knowledge of the ins and outs of the route had been an advantage, they said.

"It was a dangerous situation and the helicopter was caught in bad weather. Fortunately, I had an experienced co-pilot. According to schedule, a new co-pilot was to have accompanied me," said the pilot who has 20 years of experience flying the Nuri.

Rocky ride due to bad weather

Parts of the Eurocopter AS350 helicopter that went down yesterday have been found by the Batang Lupar.

The remains of Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Noriah Kasnon have been recovered.

The other five people who were on that ill-fated flight are Noriah's husband Asmuni Abdullah, Kuala Kangsar MP Wan Muhammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad, Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry secretary-general Dr Sundaran Annamalai, Noriah's bodyguard Ahmad Sobri Harun, and Filipino pilot Rudolf Rex Ragas.

The helicopter had left Betong at 4.12pm and was to have arrived in Kuching at about 5pm.

Riding helicopters during the ongoing 11th Sarawak state election has been a harrowing experience because of the bad weather and heavy rain.

On April 29, I was to have taken a helicopter ride with Ahmad Zahid and his delegation from Miri to Telang Usan, but the deputy prime minister opted to travel by road, covering the 140km distance in about two hours.

And then we took a ride in a Eurocopter Cougar EC725 from Telang Usan to other venues, after the weather improved.

The following day, I joined the same delegation in an EC725 to Ba'kelalan, some 910 metres above sea level, and Bario, another highland location.

During the morning flight to Ba'kelalan in heavy mist and rain, the pilot had to keep turning here and there to find a safe passage.

Due to the longer route, one helicopter that carried officials accompanying Ahmad Zahid ran out of fuel for the return flight from Bario to Miri and the pilot had to wait for fuel to be sent by road.

– Bernama