King, Queen mourn five killed in Sarawak helicopter crash

On the afternoon of the tragic incident, a BO-105 helicopter, operating a Flying Doctor Service (FDS) flight from Miri to Long Lellang, crash-landed near the Long Lellang STOLport. The unfortunate event claimed the lives of all five individuals aboard, consisting of four ministry staff members and a pilot.

Senator RA Lingeshwaran has called for an immediate and temporary grounding of all helicopters of the same BO-105 model involved in the crash, pending the determination of the cause. Lingeshwaran emphasized that such a suspension is crucial to safeguard the well-being of the doctors, nurses, health ministry personnel, pilots, and rural communities who rely entirely on the FDS service.

While FDS operations are managed by a private company under a government contract, Lingeshwaran stressed that the government cannot evade its responsibility. He asserted that the government bears the obligation to ensure that any contractor company utilizes aircraft that meet the highest safety and flight standards.

Lingeshwaran stated that if investigations reveal that the aircraft's age, maintenance history, or condition contributed to the crash, the government must accept full responsibility and take stringent action against the involved company. The BO-105 helicopter in question, with registration number 9M-LLF, was not new but had been previously operated. Built in 1991 in Germany, the aircraft, identified by serial number S-867, had been registered in Germany, the US, and South Africa before commencing service in Malaysia.

Production of the BO-105 model ceased in 2001, making the aircraft approximately 35 years old in 2026, with a documented history spanning more than three decades. Lingeshwaran urged the government to reevaluate the utilization of older helicopters and ensure that contractor companies replace them with more modern and appropriate helicopters.

In his statement, Lingeshwaran emphasized that human life cannot be compared to contract costs or operational profits. He stressed that precautionary measures must be taken without delay, as waiting for a second tragedy to occur would be inexcusable.