A Malaysian police helicopter carrying five personnel, including two senior officers, crash-landed into Sungai Pulai during a multi-national mock nuclear training exercise early Thursday morning.
The incident occurred at approximately 10:37 a.m., just 21 meters from a jetty near Gelang Patah.
The aircraft, an AS355N helicopter, had departed from the Tanjung Kupang Police Station at 9:51 a.m. and was participating in a regional drill alongside personnel from Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand. The sudden crash triggered swift rescue efforts by the Marine Police Force, with all five individuals safely transported to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency’s jetty for initial medical care.
Among the injured were an assistant commissioner and a superintendent. All five victims have since been admitted to Hospital Sultanah Aminah for treatment. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), a detailed investigation will be conducted by the Air Accident Investigation Bureau under Malaysia’s Ministry of Transport, as stipulated under Part XXVI of the Civil Aviation Regulations 2016.
While the cause of the crash remains under investigation, eyewitness accounts and security footage, which briefly went viral before being taken down, suggest mechanical failure during flight simulation. Authorities have suspended the drill pending further review, and media crews have been instructed to refrain from publishing unofficial content.
This incident has sparked fresh debates on flight safety during joint training operations and the adequacy of aviation protocols in high-stakes simulations.