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NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AGENCY
PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT
NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AGENCY
Bentong heli crash: Chopper was 'wet leased', run by Indonesian company
- Admin UKK
- Berita
KUALA LUMPUR: The Bell 206L-4 Long Ranger helicopter, which crashed and killed a ground crew yesterday, was wet-leased and fully operated by an Indonesian company, PT Zaveryna Utama.
MHS Aviation Bhd told the New Straits Times that it had leased the aircraft for Tenaga Nasional Bhd's (TNB) 500-kilovolt and 700-kilovolt cable installation project.
"The Bell 206L-4 Long Ranger helicopter (Registration number PK-ZUV) involved in the incident was wet-leased by MHS Aviation Bhd.
"Under this arrangement, the aircraft is owned and fully operated by PT Zaveryna Utama, including flight operations, crew, and maintenance.
"The flight was carried out by PT Zaveryna Utama's operational team, with Captain Kustiyadi serving as the pilot," it said.
A wet lease is an agreement where an airline or aviation company (the lessor) provides an aircraft along with its crew, maintenance, and insurance to another company (the lessee) for a specified period.
In this arrangement, the aircraft is fully operated by the lessor, while the lessee typically manages scheduling, cargo, or passenger arrangements.
MHS Aviation said its role was limited to project coordination and that it was fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation by authorities.
On whether the company would revise its standard operating procedures (SOPs) for aerial work following the incident, MHS Aviation said safety remains its top priority, with regular reviews of protocols to ensure compliance with the highest aviation standards.
"Our SOPs are reviewed and updated annually or whenever necessary, subject to approval by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM). We also benchmark our practices against global aviation safety standards," it said.
It also said that it would assess any necessary safety enhancements once findings are made available.
Yesterday, an Indonesian engineer was killed when the main rotor blade of a helicopter that landed on its side struck his head. LINK:
Finsen Reskey Sembiring was part of the ground crew for the light helicopter, which was being used for TNB's East Coast Rail Link work when the incident occurred about 10.30am.
The pilot escaped unhurt. The helicopter was attempting to land for refuelling when it lost control and landed on its side, catching fire.
Pahang Fire and Rescue Department acting director Wan Ahmad Fadillah Wan Abdul Rahman said the engineer, who was on the ground, was then struck by the main rotor blade.