Pilot killed in Sarawak helicopter crash had video call with mother for more than an hour before tragedy, says father

On the night before a helicopter crash in Sarawak, pilot Captain Zainol Afiq Bee Sham, 31, engaged in a more than hour-long video call with his mother, Zaiton Muda, 59. Captain Bee Sham's father, Bee Sham Ahmad, 59, revealed that the lengthy call occurred between 10 pm and after 11 pm, but it was his final communication with his family.

Bee Sham Ahmad learned of the tragic news from his eighth child, who informed him that his brother had been involved in the crash the following afternoon. Captain Bee Sham had taken a week's leave from his duties to vote in the recent Negeri Sembilan State Election and return to Senawang before resuming his work in Miri. The family was en route to Miri, Sarawak, to undergo DNA testing, identification procedures, and obtain updates on the incident.

Zainol Afiq leaves behind a wife and two young children, aged six and 10 months. The BO-105 helicopter, carrying five individuals, crashed near the Long Lellang STOLport in Ulu Baram, resulting in the death of the pilot and four others: Dr Ainul Baraah Kamaruddin, Alexson Adit, Debra Moset, and Jessie Paya. The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia confirmed the incident and received notification at 3:58 pm.