2023 Elmina Beechcraft 390 crash explained

Elmina plane crash
Image Upright:1.2
Occurrence Type:Accident
Summary:Loss of control due to pilot error
Site:Elmina, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
Aircraft Type:Beechcraft Model 390 (Model I)
Operator:Jet Valet
Tail Number:N28JV
Origin:Langkawi International Airport, Padang Matsirat, Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia
Destination:Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang, Selangor, Malaysia
Occupants:8
Passengers:6
Crew:2
Fatalities:8
Survivors:0
Ground Fatalities:2
Total Fatalities:10
Total Survivors:0

On 17 August 2023, a Beechcraft 390 Premier I business jet crashed onto an expressway interchange near Elmina in Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia, killing 10 people. The aircraft was travelling from Langkawi International Airport to Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport when it crashed two minutes prior to landing.[1] [2]

Background

The aircraft was a Beechcraft 390 Premier I built in 2004 and was first registered as G-FRYL in the United Kingdom.[3] In May 2023, the aircraft entered service with Jet Valet, a private flight service based in Kuala Lumpur, and was given a new registration of N28JV.[4] [5]

The aircraft carried six passengers and two pilots. The captain was 41-year-old Shahrul Kamal Roslan, he had accumulated a little over 6,275 hours of flight time, with less than 37 on the accident aircraft type. First Officer Heikal Aras Abdul Azim, age 44 and the second-in-command, had 9,298 hours of flight time, with just a little over 3 of these hours on the Beechcraft 390 Premier I.

Among the passengers was Johari Harun, a member of the Pahang State Executive Council and a member of the Pahang State Legislative Assembly for Pelangai.[6] [7]

Shahrul Kamal, the pilot-in-command, previously worked for Etihad Airways, Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia.[8]

Flight

The aircraft took off from Langkawi International Airport en route to Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport at 2:08pm MYT (06:08 UTC). At 2:47pm, the aircraft made contact with the destination airport's air traffic control (ATC). A minute later, the ATC gave clearance for landing. However, at 2:51pm, it sighted smoke plumes along the aircraft's flight path.[9]

Eyewitnesses reported erratic flying movements from the aircraft before the crash.[10] The aircraft banked to the right before descending sharply to the ground, exploding upon impact near the Elmina interchange of the Guthrie Corridor Expressway.[11] The explosion killed a motorist,[12] while a motorcyclist caught on fire and died after attempts to extinguish the flames failed.[13]

The aircraft struck the road surface at high speeds wing-first, quickly followed by the nose. It was completely destroyed on impact and engulfed by the post-crash fire. Momentum carried the aircraft wreckage forward; the main debris was located away from the initial impact zone. Additional wreckage and an occupant's body was found from the point of impact.[14]

Aftermath

Recovery operations

Only one body was recovered intact among the ten casualties in the accident.[15] Five bags of body parts were collected in the vicinity of the crash.[16] Identification of the bodies involved 20 to 30 personnel from the Ministry of Health, who are also responsible for counselling services and emotional support for family members of the victims.[17] The family members of all ten victims submitted their DNA samples to local police for identification purposes.[18]

The cockpit voice recorder of the aircraft was retrieved from the crash site at 10:20pm. It was sent to the laboratories of the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) for analysis.[19]

Reactions

Abdullah, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim visited the crash site several hours later to assess the situation.[20]

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission issued a statement advising against the online sharing of any form of videos and photographs of bodies near the crash site as they believed such distribution would offend the families of the victims and violate basic ethics.[21] Similar statements were made by the Criminal Investigation Department in relation to several viral videos online.[22]

Former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad, shared his condolences on Facebook.[23]

Investigation

The AAIB found that the aircraft was not equipped with a flight data recorder, which is not uncommon among light aircraft of this type.[24] The aircraft had veered off its original flight path prior to its fall, following the ATC's clearance for landing.[25]

Police recorded statements from the owners of vehicles that were equipped with dashcams. A forensics unit was sent to gather evidence.[26]

A preliminary accident report was released on 15 September 2023 by the Ministry of Transport.[27] It stated the aircraft had a valid airworthiness certificate and maintained in accordiance with regulations. Both pilots were described as certified to operate the flight. There was also no indication of incapacitation or physiological factors that impact the crews' behavior. Data from the cockpit voice recorder was successfully extracted but the transcript was not released. The report added that the early analysis of the data "has provided critical leads to uncovering the cause of the accident, with a focus on the aircraft flight control systems." The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the American aircraft component manufacturer conducted an inspection and evaluation with results currently "pending".[28]

The final report was released on 16 August 2024. Investigators cited pilot error as the main cause of the crash, in which the pilots inadvertently deployed the aircraft's lift dump spoilers, resulting in a sudden loss of lift. The report also concluded that the pilots were in the wrong seats, with inadequate training and communication also being contributing factors to the crash.[29]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Easwaran . Elill . 17 August 2023 . 10 dead in Elmina plane crash . . 17 August 2023.
  2. Web site: Vethasalam . Ragananthini . 17 August 2023 . Elmina plane crash: Six passengers, two crew were on board, says CAAM . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230817172816/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/08/17/elmina-plane-crash-six-passengers-two-crew-were-on-board-says-caam . 17 August 2023 . 17 August 2023 . The Star.
  3. Web site: Georgilidakis . Spyros . 17 August 2023 . Business Jet Crashes On Car And Motorbike On Highway . 18 August 2023 . Mentour Pilot . en-US . 18 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230818054619/https://mentourpilot.com/business-jet-crashes-on-car-and-motorbike-on-highway/ . live .
  4. Web site: Chua . Alfred . 17 August 2023 . Malaysia starts probe of fatal business jet highway crash . 18 August 2023 . Flight Global . en . 18 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230818054648/https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/malaysia-starts-probe-of-fatal-business-jet-highway-crash/154618.article . live .
  5. Web site: Lok . Jian Wen . 17 August 2023 . Private jet crashes into motorbike and car in Malaysia, kills 10, including politician . 17 August 2023 . . 18 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230818054622/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/small-plane-crashes-into-a-road-in-malaysia-motorbike-parts-strewn-across-the-ground . live .
  6. News: 17 August 2023 . Exco Pahang dalam pesawat terhempas - speaker . ms . Exco of Pahang inside crashed plane - speaker . . 17 August 2023 . 18 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230818054626/https://m.malaysiakini.com/news/676068 . live .
  7. Web site: 17 August 2023 . #Elmina plane crash: Pahang exco member among those on aircraft . New Straits Times.
  8. News: 18 August 2023 . Elmina air crash: What we know so far . . 19 August 2023.
  9. News: 17 August 2023 . Elmina air crash: What we know so far . . 17 August 2023.
  10. News: Nawawi . Muhammad Hafis . Bahaudin . Nurul Bidayah . 17 August 2023 . Elmina plane crash: Ex-RMAF man says aircraft was flying erratically . . 17 August 2023.
  11. News: Wong . Alexander . 17 August 2023 . Elmina plane crash: Plane made banked turn before the crash . . 17 August 2023 . 18 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230818055151/https://www.malaymail.com/amp/news/malaysia/2023/08/17/elmina-plane-crash-plane-made-banked-turn-before-the-crash-video/85788 . live .
  12. News: Morden . Zarah . 17 August 2023 . Cops: 10 dead after private jet crashes in Shah Alam's Bandar Elmina . . 17 August 2023 . 17 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230817102706/https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/08/17/cops-10-dead-after-private-jet-crashes-in-shah-alams-bandar-elmina/85710 . live .
  13. Web site: 18 August 2023 . Elmina plane crash: I'm sorry I couldn't save p-hailing rider, says lorry driver . 19 August 2023 . . en.
  14. Aircraft accident preliminary report: Accident Involving Fixed Wing Aircraft Hawker Beechcraft 390 Premier 1, Registration N28JV, at Elmina, Shah Alam, Selangor on 17 August 2023 . 9 November 2023 . Air Accident Investigation Bureau, Ministry of Transport . 15 September 2023.
  15. News: Camoens . Austin . Elmina plane crash: Only one out of ten bodies was intact, say cops . . live . 17 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230818055133/https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/08/17/elmina-plane-crash-only-one-out-of-ten-bodies-was-intact-say-cops . 18 August 2023.
  16. News: 17 August 2023 . Bodies of all ten victims recovered - Selangor police chief . . live . 17 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230818055638/https://www.bernama.com/en/general/news.php?id=2217300 . 18 August 2023.
  17. News: Elmina air crash: Forensic team needs time to identify bodies, says Dr Zaliha . . . live . 17 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230818055634/https://www.malaymail.com/amp/news/malaysia/2023/08/17/elmina-air-crash-forensic-team-needs-time-to-identify-bodies-says-dr-zaliha/85802 . 18 August 2023.
  18. News: Raja Rahim . Raja Noraina . Nawawi . Muhammad Nafis . Mohd Noor . Hafidzul Hilmi . Mohd Fadzil . Mohd Haris Fadli . Md. Zain . Ruwaida . Che Noh . Norzamira . 18 August 2023 . Elmina plane crash: Next of kin of victims have provided DNA samples . . 18 August 2023.
  19. News: Mohamad Radhi . Nor Ain . 17 August 2023 . Police: Cockpit voice recorder retrieved from Elmina crash site . . 17 August 2023.
  20. News: Kasinathan . Sathana . 17 August 2023 . Agong arrives at scene of Bandar Elmina private jet crash . . 17 August 2023 . 18 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230818055131/https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/08/17/agong-arrives-at-scene-of-bandar-elmina-private-jet-crash/85742 . live .
  21. News: 18 August 2023 . Stop sharing videos, photos of Elmina air crash victims, warns MCMC . . . 18 August 2023.
  22. News: Nizam . Fuad . 18 August 2023 . Elmina plane crash: Respect sensitivity of victims' families, stop sharing viral videos, says Shuhaily . . 18 August 2023.
  23. Web site: Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad . www.facebook.com.
  24. News: Nizam . Fuad . 18 August 2023 . Elmina plane crash: Aircraft equipped with voice recorder, no flight data recorder says IGP . . 18 August 2023.
  25. Web site: Sufian . Puteri Aisya . 17 August 2023 . Elmina disaster: Plane veered off path minutes before crash . 18 August 2023 . Malaysiakini.
  26. Web site: Elmina plane crash: Cops want to take statements from owners of dashcam footage . 2023-08-19 . The Star . en.
  27. Web site: Elmina Crash Report Aircraft Accident Preliminary Report A05/23 . 2023-09-15 . Ministry of Transportation. en.
  28. News: Pilot was qualified, jet was airworthy, says early report on Malaysia's Elmina plane crash . 27 November 2023 . The Star . The Straits Times . 15 September 2023.
  29. Web site: Elmina Crash Report Aircraft Accident Final Report A05/23 . 2024-08-16 . Ministry of Transportation. en.

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