ISKANDAR PUTERI – The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) is intensifying efforts to locate the black box of a police helicopter that tragically crashed into Sungai Pulai near the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Jetty in Gelang Patah earlier this morning.
Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail confirmed that the search mission is currently ongoing and involves several critical agencies including the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM), and other technical experts.
“We are focusing on finding the black box, which will provide us with crucial flight data to understand what really happened,” said Mohd Khalid after visiting the crash site. “We’re also working to retrieve the wreckage, believed to have sunk to the bottom of the river.”
The IGP further explained that retrieving the wreckage is a delicate operation that requires specialised underwater recovery equipment and highly trained personnel. The river is estimated to be about 25 feet deep, which poses additional challenges for divers and machinery.
“At this point, we cannot confirm when the wreckage can be fully raised as it may require third-party expertise. Safety and precision are our top priorities,” he added.
Also present at the scene was Johor Police Chief, Datuk M. Kumar, who joined the IGP in reviewing the search progress.
The PDRM AS355 helicopter, with registration number 9M-PHG, reportedly crashed during a scheduled flypast demonstration held in conjunction with the Multilateral Nuclear Security Detection Exercise (MITSATOM) 2025. The exercise involves participation from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore.
CAAM confirmed that the helicopter, operated by PDRM, took off from the Tanjung Kupang Police Station at 9.51am. It was carrying five people, including the pilot, when the accident occurred.
Authorities have yet to confirm the status of all passengers, as the recovery mission continues. — Bernama
