PUTD helicopter crashes, no injuries reported

An Army Air Corps (PUTD) helicopter, an Augusta A-109 LUH, crashed in the jungle near the Bekok Dam between 9pm and 10pm on Thursday night.

Sources on Friday, however, said all the four people on board the helicopter, which was on a training flight, were safe and had been taken to the Kluang District Hospital.

"The helicopter was on a night training flight before it crashed in the jungle near Bekok Dam in Segamat," said the sources.

The sources said that a PUTD rescue team had been despatched to the crash site and succeeded in taking the victims out before sending them to the Kluang Hospital at about 1am.

The four victims, including a foreign military officer with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel who was the flight instructor, did not suffer serious injuries, the sources added.

Bernama learnt that the foreign military officer was from France, while the other three people on board were locals holding the ranks of Major, Captain and a Sergeant.

The sources said the impact of the crash resulted in the tail and the rotor blades of the helicopter to break into two and the wheels of the aircraft were damaged badly.

"The helicopter was described as a total loss," the sources said.

According to the sources, night flight training involved high risks as the pilot had to rely on the 'night vision goggle' and other flight instruments in flying the helicopter.

Meanwhile, Batu Pahat OCPD ACP Din Ahmad, when contacted, confirmed receiving the report on the incident from the military on Friday morning.

However, he said he was informed that the helicopter did not crash but had made an emergency landing due to problems faced by the aircraft.

He said no serious injury was reported on the four victims.