PUTRAJAYA/JOHOR BAHRU – A police helicopter participating in a mock nuclear training exercise crashed into Sungai Pulai in Johor on July 10, injuring five individuals, including two senior police officers.
According to security sources, the AS355N helicopter crashed at approximately 10.37am, just 21 metres from the jetty, while conducting the joint emergency simulation exercise attended by personnel from Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand. The aircraft had departed from the Tanjung Kupang Police Station at 9.51am with five people on board, including the pilot.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) confirmed the incident and said all five occupants were successfully rescued by the Marine Police Force and transported to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) jetty in Johor. The injured comprise an assistant commissioner, a superintendent, and three rank-and-file personnel. All have been taken to Hospital Sultanah Aminah for treatment.
“The Air Accident Investigation Bureau under the Ministry of Transport Malaysia will conduct a detailed investigation, in accordance with Part XXVI of the Civil Aviation Regulations 2016,” CAAM stated in an official release.
The training exercise was immediately halted following the crash, and a full inquiry is now underway to determine the cause of the accident. Meanwhile, members of the media covering the event were reportedly asked to delete footage of the crash, which had gone viral on social media before being taken down.