Plane Crash: Pilot, Trainee Identified

IPOH, May 4 (Bernama) -- The flight instructor and trainee of the Cessna 172 (9M ADA) type training aircraft which crashed in an oil palm plantation in Besout 2 Tambahan plantation, Sungkai near here have been identified as Captain Shahrul Imran Surea, 26, and Ho Jia Lee, 20.

Perak police chief Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said Shahrul Imran, who lives in Jalan Jelatek Kuala Lumpur, is suspected of having a broken right leg while Ho, who lives in Lahat Perak, has swelling on the right side of her face.

"The plane is from Syarikat Layang-Layang Aerospace Sdn Bhd, Ipoh.

"The plane was traveling from Ipoh to Tg Karang at 7.59 this morning for flight training and turned back to Ipoh before crashing at the location at 9.30 am," he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Perak Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) director, Sayani Saidon said the two victims have rescued from the scene.

"We received an emergency call at 9.46 am and a team from the Slim River Fire and Rescue Station (BBP) with the help of Bidor BBP were deployed to the scene of the incident which is located 20 kilometres from the main road

Meanwhile, Mohd Yusri in a press conference after the MADANI Raya gathering with the members of Unit 69 Commando, Special Operations Forces, in Ulu Kinta which was attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim here today said the police are now guarding the location of the incident.

"Our members came in to help and control the situation and make sure no members of the public come in as we are investigating.  Maybe the CAAM (Malaysian Civil Aviation Authority) will come in to investigate," he said.

Earlier, CAAM in a statement confirmed that a Cessna 172N Skyhawk aircraft with the registration number 9M-ADA crashed near Felda Gunung Besout, Sungkai today.

The plane with two survivors onboard and operated by Layang Layang Flying Academy, took off from Sultan Azlan Shah Airport, Ipoh, at 7.54 am, and the Kuala Lumpur Air Traffic Control Centre (KLATCC) received its last transmission over Slim River at 9.35 am.

CAAM's chief executive officer Datuk Captain Norazman Mahmud said that further investigation would be conducted by the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) under the Ministry of Transport, under Part XXVI of the Civil Aviation Regulations 2016.

-- BERNAMA