Cops look for ‘unusual occurrences’ along flying doctor flight path

 The Sarawak police chief said there were no indications so far that the crash of the BO-105 helicopter was anything other than an accident.

The helicopter crash on Tuesday killed the pilot and four members of a medical team from Sarawak’s Flying Doctor Service. (Bernama pic)

KUCHING:

Police are expanding their investigations into the crash of a Flying Doctor Service (FDS) helicopter in Baram, seeking any unusual occurrences at the refuelling location and several places the aircraft passed through before the crash.

Sarawak police commissioner Zainal Abdullah said so far there were no indications that the incident was anything other than an accident.

The pilot and four others in a medical team were killed when a BO-105 helicopter used for the FDS crashed near the Long Lellang airfield on Tuesday.

Zainal said statements had been recorded from 19 witnesses. Several others would be called up if necessary, he said. The investigation team would also return to the relevant locations to get a more detailed picture, he told reporters here.

He said the investigation also covered the entire flight chronology, from when the aircraft took off in Miri to its final destination, including flight records and the possibility of emergency calls.

The technical investigation had been handed over to the Air Accident Investigation Bureau.

Those killed in the crash were the pilot, Captain Zainol Afiq Bee Sham, 30; medical officer Dr Ainul Baraah Kamaruddin, 33; medical assistant Alexson Adit Henry, 31; and nurses Debra Moset, 40, and Jessie Paya Jok, 44. - fmt