AW139 Black Boxes Still Not Found

SHAH ALAM: MMEA is still searching for the flight data and voice recorders from the AW139 helicopter which crashed into the waters off Pulau Angsa, Kuala Selangor on March 5. The voice and data recorders are commonly referred to as black boxes by the media.

Pictures of the recovered helicopter showed that the tail boom had separated from the main cabin in the incident. The FDVRs are likely located in the tail boom. According to MMEA, the search for the black boxes had started following the crash but it had not been found up to March 28. It said the divers reported that the search was made difficult due to the high speed currents under the sea and the muddy bottom which limit visibility.

The search team has about ten days to locate the FDVRs using its location beacon/pinger before its power ran out. The batteries on the black boxes usually last 30 days following its activation.

The search is being conducted by MMEA divers unit and assisted by RMN personnel from the National Hydrographic Centre which used a towed sonar to sweep the seabed near the crash site to locate the recorders. The Air Incident Investigation Bureau is also taking part in the search operation.

The four crew men on board the MMEA helicopter AW139 M72-01 were rescued in the incident off Pulau Angsa, located some 30 minutes by boat from the nearest jetty in Jeram, Kuala Selangor. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), the helicopter left the Subang airport at 9.10am for a training flight. The last contact made with the helicopter was at 9.20am and though no distress call was received, a search and rescue operation were activated to find the helicopter.

The wreck of the helicopter was recovered in the early hours of March 6. The wreck was then transported to the MMEA air wing base adjacent to the Subang airport. According to MMEA, tail number 01 has logged in some 5,000 hours since her entry into service in 2010.

𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗞𝗢𝗧𝗔𝗞 𝗛𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗠 𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗢𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗪𝟭𝟯𝟵 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗞 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗠 𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗦𝗜𝗔
𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗨𝗞𝗜 𝗙𝗔𝗦𝗔 𝗞𝗘𝗗𝗨𝗔
.
𝗣𝗨𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗝𝗔𝗬𝗔, 𝟮𝟴 𝗠𝗮𝗰 – Seramai 21 Penyelam Penyelamat Agensi Penguatkuasaan Maritim Malaysia (Maritim Malaysia) terlibat dalam fasa kedua pencarian kotak hitam helikopter AW139 milik Agensi ini yang telah melakukan pendaratan cemas di Pulau Angsa pada 5 Mac lalu.
Pencarian kali ini memfokuskan keluasan lokasi kotak hitam berkenaan antara 50 sehingga 100 meter radius berpandukan signal daripada pinger.
Berdasarkan maklumat yang diperolehi daripada Pusat Hidrografi Nasional (PHN) Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM), kotak hitam berkenaan dipercayai berada di sekitar 700-800 meter dari kawasan pendaratan cemas helikopter tersebut.
Mengikut laporan yang diterima, para penyelam berhadapan kesukaran untuk mencari kotak hitam berkenaan akibat keadaan arus deras di dasar laut selain jarak penglihatan di dalam air yang terhad akibat dasar laut yang berlumpur.
Walau bagaimanapun pihak Maritim Malaysia positif akan menjumpai kotak hitam berkenaan dalam masa terdekat berdasarkan kedudukan terkini kotak tersebut dikesan.
Selain penyelam penyelamat Maritim Malaysia, misi pencarian ini turut melibatkan kru sonar PHN TLDM, Biro Siasatan Kemalangan Udara (AAIB) dan pihak penyedia perkhidmatan pesawat Maritim Malaysia iaitu Galaxy (M) Sdn Bhd.
Fasa pertama pencarian kotak hitam pesawat berkenaan telah dilaksanakan bermula pada 6 Mac hingga 24 Mac lalu dengan lokasi tumpuan adalah di sekitar satu kilometer radius di kawasan helikopter terbabit melakukan pendaratan cemas.

— Malaysian Defence

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