On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, two Malaysian Navy helicopters collided in mid-air during a parade rehearsal, resulting in the death of 10 individuals.
The incident occurred at 9:32 am local time on Tuesday at the Naval Base in Lumut, Perak, on the west coast of Malaysia.
The Navy stated, “All the victims were confirmed dead at the scene and have been taken to the Lumut Army Base Hospital for identification.”
Video footage of the incident showed one helicopter hitting the rotor of another helicopter, causing both helicopters to crash to the ground.
The Malaysian Ministry of Housing and Local Government Development said that the two helicopters were conducting a fly-by rehearsal for the Navy Fleet Open Day scheduled for May.
The two helicopters involved were the AS555SN Fennec from the European helicopter company and the AW-139 from AgustaWestland.
The AW-139 helicopter crashed onto the stairs of the naval base’s sports field, while the Fennec helicopter crashed into the swimming pool at the sports field.
The two aircraft took off from Sitiawan Airport at 9:03 am. It is believed that there were three crew members on the Fennec helicopter and seven crew members on the AW-139 helicopter.