{
  "id": 6842001,
  "title": "Usia BO-105 bukan penentu tunggal keselamatan, kata pakar",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/usia-bo-105-bukan-penentu-tunggal-keselamatan-kata-pakar-6842001",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-12T01:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2026/09/12/usia-bo-105-bukan-penentu-tunggal-keselamatan-kata-pakar"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Four crew members from the Air Medical Services and a pilot were killed in a crash involving a BO-105 helicopter on September 8. (Picture Bernama) PETALING JAYA: The age of the helicopter is not the sole determinant of its safety and operational reliability, states aviation transport expert Rosli Khan. He noted that a 30 to 40-year-old aircraft can remain safe if maintenance, inspections, component replacements, and technical records meet all established requirements. “A 30–40-year-old aircraft can still operate safely provided its maintenance, inspection, component replacement, and technical records comply with all set requirements.” However, the expert emphasized that age remains a factor that warrants attention as the longer a plane operates, the more rigorous inspections become necessary, the FMT reported. Rosli Khan highlighted the call by Senator RA Lingeshwaran, who also questioned the operational lifespan of the aircraft, which is approximately 35 years old, and its prior use under registration in Germany, the United States, and South Africa before being deployed in Malaysia. In the September 8 incident, a BO-105 helicopter en route from Miri Airport to Long Lellang Airport clipped a short landing strip, resulting in the loss of four Air Medical Services crew members and a pilot. Recently, Layang Layang Aerospace voluntarily suspended the BO-105 helicopter and other aircraft equipped with Rolls-Royce 250 turbofan engines from service. CAAM Executive Officer Norazman Mahmud stated that the grounding measure is a precautionary safety action taken by the authority, rather than an indication of the crash being caused by engine or technical failure. Meanwhile, an unnamed aviation expert said that age should not be used as a reason to dismiss the incident, urging politicians not to jump to conclusions. They argued that each aircraft has a lifespan program to ensure it continues to meet safety requirements throughout its operational period. “Aircraft can continue to operate regardless of their exact age, as every aircraft has a lifespan program,” they said. “However, operating an older aircraft requires stricter and more comprehensive maintenance.” The expert advised the Air Crash Investigation Bureau (BSKU) to conduct the investigation, warning politicians against interfering as it could make Malaysia's investigative agency appear untrustworthy.",
  "summary": "Pesawat usia 30 hingga 40 tahun masih selamat beroperasi jika penggantian komponen serta rekod teknikalnya penuhi piawaian.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Usia BO-105 bukan penentu tunggal keselamatan, kata pakar",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/usia-bo-105-bukan-penentu-tunggal-keselamatan-kata-pakar",
        "published": "2026-09-12T01:30:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}