Fatal Diamond DA40 Crash in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia

[beeped]

http://www.sinchew.com.my/files/2008/08/21/HQBN080821C01.jpg

Missing pilots found - one alive, one dead
By R.S.N. MURALI


KUALA TERENGGANU: Search and rescue workers on Thursday morning found the two pilots who went missing shortly after their aircraft took off from the Sultan Mahmud airport here on Wednesday.

One pilot was found alive while the other had succumbed to serious injuries.

The trainee pilots were feared missing after they failed to state their altitude or respond to the air traffic controller minutes after taking off.

The pilots, aged 21 and 20, were flying a Diamond Star DA40 aircraft on a training flight from Kuala Terengganu to Langkawi International Airport.

The aircraft belonged to HM Aerospace Flying school.

The flight took off at about 4.23pm from the airport and the pilots were supposed to have radioed the position of their aircraft to the air traffic controller but they failed to do so. OCPD Asst Comm Zamri Shamsuddin said the aircraft was last seen flying at an altitude of 20m and eye-witnesses claimed that they heard the plane's engine which was described as raucous.

Eyewitness Tong Kundang, 32, a machine operator at Bukit Jong quarry in Tepoh, said he witnessed an aircraft flying very low and it looked like it was gliding towards a plantation before it disappeared from his view at about 5pm.

"I knew something was wrong because the aircraft was flying extremely low and it looked unstable,” he said.

The Star - Malaysia (http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/8/21/nation/20080821104316&sec=nation)


http://photos.beeep.org/air/tgg5.jpg

Diamond DA40TDI - 9M-HMT in sunnier times


This is a bad one. I used to fly that same plane over that same area - but I can only imagine what it would be like. :(:(:(

R.I.P Brother.

[newfreighter]

was there another seperate light aircraft crashed land in the state of johor sometime one or two weeks ago? anybody has detail?

[Sonic69]

The latest was a Trike (Cosmos flexwing) on the 12th Aug. Had to do a precautionary landing in Simpang Renggam due to weather. Pilot survived with minor injuries.

[Syrian Aviator]

I am so saddened by this news, I actually flew this airplane when I used to work in Langkawi, had a couple of minor incidents on it related to engine coolant level warning and once for vibration but that was long time ago

Blame wont do anything to return the loved ones, but, someone should take responsibility for this misfortune, DCA should do more audits on Academies and Engineering facilities therein, this is dead serious

I cant say how sorry I feel for the families involved, and, for TSH as well because he is a good man and very professional character

HMA has such a potential greater than any other of its rivals but now, the name and reputation are hanging in the balance, maybe to some extent, its very existence

[radflying]

hi bro,

sad news indeed, spoke to GA guys in singapore, all shocked by this. too many accidents in last few months. DCA needs to crack down on all schools and flying clubs. few months ago also had crash in Senai with elite aircraft I think. There is a lot of potential to develop a good flight training infrastructure in WMKJ, WMKM, etc . GA could really be successfull and complement charter and airline activity there, but they need to get their act together.

I know how you must feel, I lost a friend in the US who was an instructor and got killed flying in a piper warrior with a student. I got to know after I left to work for another school and heard the bad news. Was a sad and surreal feeling for me as I flew the same airplane and had some minor difficulties with it but nothing serious.

Am looking forward to seeing you soon in dubai bro

[Sonic69]

DCA should do more audits on Academies and Engineering facilities therein

Hmmmm...... there's no way to say this diplomatically, DCA has no freakin clue what they're doing. For a government body that exists to serve the aviation industry (no aviation, no need for DCA :ugh:) they have done their darnest to kill it. This is, of course, IMHO.

[zakka]

Any news on the investigation of this accident?

[tiger king]

Fasting month DCA staff busy buying/selling cookies for Raya.:rolleyes:

Anyway this month they are operating at half speed!

[tian yu]

Lols!!! yeah....dats true...guess it'll have to wait....

[beeped]

As far as I know WMKN's radar still isn't in service, so that might have been a factor in the crash. Why? The Batu Rakit/Merang/Kapas Training Area is like a playground with no monitors, unlike Langkawi where everything's positively controlled.

Apparently they lost control in a steep bank at low level. Maybe SyrianAviator can confirm this.

It's sad that something like this had to happen :( :(

[B747-800]

Don't expect anything to happen during Ramadan. People don't usually work much.

[japanam]

We already know what caused the crash. The investigation was conducted swiftly and the cause was seconded by the other student flying at the same time.

[cav-not-ok]

ah.. the suspense,

are you going to just tease us or are you going to give us the info so that we may learn something from this costly incident.
:ouch:

[bad_attitude]

what was the cause for the crash?

[Thermal Image]

The New Straits Times Online...... (http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/Frontpage/2383133/Article/index_html)

Trainee pilots 'tried to cover up crash'
By Farrah Naz Karim

2008/10/23

PUTRAJAYA: Three trainee commercial pilots are under investigation for negligence which allegedly caused the death of their colleague whose light aircraft crashed in the jungles of Terengganu in August. Investigations conducted by the Department of Civil Aviation also revealed attempts by the trainee pilots to cover up events leading to the crash which claimed the life of 20-year-old Muhammad Ariff Ahmad Fuad.

It was revealed that Ariff and his pilot, who were in one aircraft, were involved in a game with a second aircraft which broke all training rules. Both aircraft were Diamond Star DA40 light aircraft.

The two aircraft took off from Sultan Mahmud Airport in Terengganu for "instrument training" but soon after being airborne, took to games in the sky.

The training required both aircraft to cruise at a high altitude but this was allegedly not adhered to.

What was more shocking was that soon after the crash, the second aircraft returned to base and the trainee pilots went missing for three days.

It was only after investigators discovered that there were two aircraft involved in the training did the pilot and the co-pilot of the second aircraft surface to tell what had happened.

Ariff's pilot, who was injured in that incident, was also questioned at length and it is now learnt that the three trainees have been suspended.

A source revealed that instead of helping out in the investigations, the two pilots in the second aircraft went missing for three days.

"Investigations showed that not only were both planes flying very low but also the pilots were believed to have been engaged in some game," said the source.

"It was during one of their manoeuvres that the plane in front crashed into the jungle below.

"The pilots in the second aircraft witnessed the crash but it took them a few days to reveal what happened," he told the New Straits Times.

It is understood that all the trainee pilots would be dealt with under the regulations of the Department of Civil Aviation.

The source did not discount the possibility that the trainee pilots could also face criminal action as their negligence had led to the loss of a life.

The four trainee pilots are believed to be students of a Langkawi-based flying school. Ariff's plane went off the radar shortly after taking off at 4.40pm on Aug 20.

The wreckage was found about 8km from Bukit Bidong Darat, near Setiu.

Ariff, who was pinned to his seat, was believed to have been killed on impact. The pilot Mohd Farid Abdullah, 21, who suffered serious injuries, survived 14 hours of agony before being found near the wreckage the next morning. He had managed to crawl eight metres away from the wreckage.

Rescuers sought help from residents of Rhu Tapai, a residential area for the hardcore poor, about four kilometres away, to locate the crash scene. The residents had earlier informed the rescuers that they saw a low-flying aircraft in the area.

The principal of the flying school refused to comment when asked if the trainee pilots had been suspended.

[738FO]

To see something like this is really sad.
I feel sorry for the family of the one that died.


What in the world were those 2 trainees thinking?? Lets just hope they dont encounter the same in the near future if they will be able to fly again.
What a waste........ :ugh::ugh::ugh:

[tbavprof]

What were the FOUR pilots thinking? :ugh: Never underestimate the power of stupid people working in groups.

MCC training is a good concept, but evidently putting in all-students crews without 'adult supervision' has some drawbacks that need to be overcome, lest any more of these senseless, totally avoidable accidents occur. The ADM, CRM, HF, and risk management portions of their training evidently registered as "not applicable."

If you want to fly NOTE, join the military and drive an aircraft equipped for it.

[ozthai]

So the pricks in the second aircraft did not report the accident and position of wreckage ???? Just left their mates to die right.
Hope they never get in an aircraft ever again even as passengers... What disgusting low lifes.

[320busdriver]

Ozthai - could not agree more - hope the DCA bans them for life from flying - and pls the bleeding hearts among you lot - dont say these were young guys and they deserve a second chance. It was absolutely despicable what they did. Their "friend" that survived suffered for 14 hrs in the jungle, just take a look at the wreakage of the aircraft -- really how can you have sympathy for those 2 idiots :*.

[Karl Bamforth]

The crew of the second aircraft did indeed declare a mayday.

The beacon was located early the next morning and the wreckage found approx one hour later.

Please wait for the official report before jumping to any conclusions.