Two helicopters of the Malaysian Navy tragically collided mid-air during a rehearsal for an upcoming Royal Malaysian Navy celebration event, resulting in the loss of all 10 crew members aboard. The incident occurred near Lumut, a Malaysian town housing a navy base, casting a pall over the community and the nation as a whole.
The Malaysian Navy helicopters, identified as models HOM (M503-3) and Fennec (M502-6), collided mid-air during a rehearsal for the Navy’s 90th anniversary celebration event. The rehearsal was taking place in the vicinity of the Lumut Royal Malaysian Navy stadium in Manjung, Perak, when the tragic accident unfolded at approximately 9:32 a.m. local time.
Eyewitness footage of the incident, now circulating widely on social media, captured the harrowing moment one helicopter’s rotor clipped the other, triggering a catastrophic crash. The HOM (M503-3) helicopter crashed onto a running track, while the Fennec (M502-6) helicopter plunged into a nearby swimming pool.
Local media outlets reported that all 10 crew members aboard the two helicopters perished in the crash, with no known survivors. The Perak fire and rescue department confirmed the grim toll, stating that efforts are underway to retrieve the bodies of the deceased.
In an official statement, the Royal Malaysian Navy expressed profound sorrow over the loss of life and confirmed the establishment of a probe panel to investigate the incident. The navy revealed that the helicopters were conducting maneuvers in preparation for the upcoming Navy anniversary event scheduled from May 3 to May 5.
The victims, comprising seven individuals aboard the HOM (M503-3) and three aboard the Fennec (M502-6), were pronounced dead at the scene and subsequently transported to the Lumut Royal Malaysian Navy Base military hospital for identification purposes.
