KUALA LUMPUR: A Beechcraft 200T King Air of the 16th Squadron crashed next to the ordnance terminal at the Butterworth airbase at 5.18pm today (Dec. 21), RMAF says in a statement. The aircraft – M41-03 – were carrying 4 crew members when it crashed.
Pilot, Mejar C. Kayamboo was killed while three other crew members were rescued and currently undergoing treatment at several hospitals. The other crew members are identified as co-pilot Kapten Wai Lik, 26, mission system operator Lt Hamdi Ahmad Hanafi and observer Sarjan Mohd Sofi Azizan. Hamdi has been transferred to the Hospital Tentera Tunku Mizan in Kuala Lumpur while Mohd Sofi and Wai Lik are now warded at the Hospital Pulau Pinang.
An investigation board has been set up to determine the cause of the accident. 16th Squadron operates 4 Beechcraft 200T fitted with the Thales Amascos, for maritime surveillance. It is likely that the crew of the ill-fated aircraft was on a training mission. The three remaining aircraft has since been grounded pending investigation into 03 crash.
This was the fifth accident involving RMAF aircraft this year but its the first fatal crash in the last six years, which is the main reason this incident got its own post. Other incidents this year involved two Nuris, an Aermacchi MB339CM and a CN-235.
The last fatal crash involving RMAF was back in 2010 when a PC 7 Mk II crashed at UUM in Sintok, Kedah. The pilot was killed in the crash.
RMAF also operates two Super King Air 350is, on lease from Aerotree Sdn Bhd for liaison and pilot conversion duties. To be updated.
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (19)
rip
Condolence to the family n RIP to the deceased crew member.
RIP...
hopefully next getting better MPA.
Beechcraft b200t are very reliable airplanes. Looks like almost all previous crashes this year is caused by engine issues. Is the budgetary limitations causing shortcuts to the maintenance regime?
With just 3 remaining mpa aircraft in tudm fleet, there is just not enough aircraft to patrol the large eez that Malaysia has. Give priority to something like this, a mpa version of something like the cn-235mpa with winglets of the indonesian navy could be had for like usd30mil each.
what kind of plane still use cable to control the rudder?
Maybe its now definite they will get proper medium MPAs.
Choon,
Many modern aircraft like the B747 and B737 still uses cable to control their flight surfaces. Heck even the modern 'fly-by-wire' A320 uses cables to transmit pilot inputs from the rudder pedals to the rudder hydraulic servos. So your point is?
That cable is actually a HF antenna not for rudder control.
Also, prolly we can get a used P-3s and upgrade them to P-3C+. I don't really like the idea of getting CN-235 (or C-295 for that matter) as MPA especially if they're built by Indonesia. There's the SIGINT concern from them
Reply
P-3s are off the table as it will cost more than US$50 million to upgrade them. Lockheed Martin is trying to sell upgraded P-3s for US$80 million per aircraft
undun,
Getting P-3s will be a bad idea as all are over 40 years old. Something newer and with more growth potential is the way to go. For our requirements something the size of a CN-235 or CN-295 will do. There is no SIGINT or any other concerns with buying from Indonesia as such gear is installed by the OEM and the software codes are specific to the end user. What we need are the basics : search radar, FLIR, ESM, the ability to drop rescue gear, etc. In the past some expressed the hope that our future MPA will have torps and ASMs but getting into that game is expensive, not only to buy the stuff but to acquire and maintain the needed skillsets.
........,
I doubt it. Irrespective of budget cuts aircraft still undergo regular routine checks at squadron level after 'x' hours flown and depot level maintenance at AIROD. The first to go when belts are tightened are flying hours. It is telling that the accident happened when the aircraft was in its final approach : probably either human error or a technical issue.
Condolence to their family. And RIP to deceased crew.