Helicopter operator says CAAM flagged no aircraft maintenance flaws

Layang Layang Aerospace Sdn Bhd, the operator of the helicopter that crashed in Sarawak last month, has stated that the initial report from the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) found no maintenance or management issues with any of its aircraft. Johan Poong Abdullah, Layang Layang's managing director, emphasized that the preliminary report confirmed all aircraft in the company's fleet were in safe condition, with no unclear records or flaws in maintenance.

The final report will contain additional information, he told FMT. He confirmed that the pilot was properly licensed, qualified, and medically fit to conduct the flight according to regulations. The helicopter was deemed airworthy at the time of dispatch and held valid registration and airworthiness certificates. CAAM had raised three maintenance concerns during a routine inspection of Layang Layang's operations from September 1 to 4, followed by a follow-up on September 6.

Two of the issues were resolved, while the third concerning staffing calculations was still pending final verification when the crash occurred. Layang Layang claims these concerns were unrelated to its aircraft engineers' work and that their operating licences were renewed for three more years before the crash.