Man who died in Malaysian plane crash survived similar accident

One of the 10 people killed when a private jet crashed onto a road in Selangor on Thursday (Aug 17) had survived an aviation accident 13 years ago.

Mr Khairil Azwan Jamaluddin, 43, was co-piloting a helicopter from Selangor in Sept 2010 when bad weather caused the chopper to crash in a hilly region.

He survived the impact back then, reported Bernama. But not the second time on Thursday when a light private business jet on which he was a passenger, crashed near Elmina township in Shah Alam.

Recalling the 2010 accident, his close friend, Senior Fire Chief 1 Roslan Aziz, told Bernama: "The accident happened at about 10.30am during bad weather. We tried to turn back but failed to do so due to very limited visibility. We had to fly low but hit trees and crashed into the hilly area."

Mr Roslan, who is Putrajaya Fire and Rescue Headquarters' air operations management branch chief, said the flight was to conduct aerial survey operations along the East Coast Highway from Gombak, Selangor, to Kuantan, Pahang, during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri festive season.

"In the accident, he (Mr Khairil Azwan) was the one who saved me by pulling me out of the helicopter wreckage and giving me first aid before help arrived, as I was seriously injured," said Mr Roslan in the news report.

In Thursday's fatal incident, the Beechcraft Model 390 (Premier 1) aircraft crashed just before it was due to land at Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang.

The victims included eight on board the plane and two motorists - a car driver and a motorcyclist - who were hit by the crashing plane. Datuk Seri Johari Harun, 53, chairman of the Pahang Local Government, Housing, Environment and Green Technology Committee, was among the 10 victims.

Mr Khairil Azwan's wife, Ms Nizatul Akmar Mohd Nasir, said she and her late husband had renewed their funeral management fund earlier in August. He had told her to bury him in his home town when he dies, reported Bernama.

Ms Nizatul Akmar, 43, said her husband wanted to be buried in Pahang so that she and her three sons - aged between 10 and 14 - would return to his home town to visit their relatives.

"I will fulfil his wish and of course, the family wants the same," said Ms Nizatul Akmar in the report.

She received a call from her husband at 1.40pm on Thursday. He told her that his 2pm flight was expected to arrive around 4pm.

"My husband was very excited about this flight... when he was with Datuk Seri Johari Harun, he would normally fly the helicopter as he was his private pilot, but today, he was the passenger," she said.

She said that at first, she refused to believe that her husband was in the crash. She tried to call those who were on the same flight but failed to reach anyone, she said in the report.

She then called Mr Johari's wife, who confirmed the tragic news.

Ms Nizatul Akmar said: "I came here from Seremban after maghrib prayers to identify the remains."

ALSO READ: Private jet crashes into motorbike and car in Malaysia, kills 10

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.