FINAL REPORT: STRUCTURAL FAILURE, UNAPPROVED MODIFICATIONS CAUSED KAPAR PLANE CRASH

PUTRAJAYA, April 9 (Bernama) -- The failure and in-flight separation of structural parts due to excessive operational stresses on the aircraft's weakened composite materials has been identified as the primary cause of the fatal plane crash in Kapar, Selangor, last year.

This was revealed in the Aircraft Accident Final Report issued by the Ministry of Transport (MOT) Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and published on MOT’s official website today.

“The accident was primarily caused by the failure and in-flight separation of structural parts due to excessive operational stresses on the aircraft's weakened composite materials.

“The aircraft’s structural integrity was compromised by repeated operation outside its approved flight envelope, including exceeding maximum airspeeds, load factors, and structural limits, which placed undue strain on its structure. 

“Furthermore, the installation of non-certified parts, specifically the tie-down rings, further weakened the aircraft’s integrity, contributing to the failure,” the report read.

The 204-page report said several contributing factors to the accident have also been identified, such as pilot performance, aircraft maintenance, organisational failures and operational oversight.

“The pilot engaged in aggressive flying manoeuvres beyond the aircraft's approved limits that contributed to excessive loading that compromised the aircraft’s structural integrity, leading to the in-flight separation of parts.

“The aircraft was subjected to unapproved maintenance practices, including the installation of non-certified parts by unqualified personnel, compromising the aircraft’s structural integrity, making it more susceptible to in-flight failure,” it said. 

According to the report, the accident was not survivable due to the magnitude of the deceleration forces involved upon impact.

Meanwhile, other findings show the pilot’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was found to be 0.032 per cent, which is above the prescribed legal limit (0.02 per cent) and may have impaired the pilot’s performance during the flight.

The report also recommended Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) to implement enhanced measures for scrutinising nonscheduled flight operations within Malaysia, particularly those involving foreign-registered aircraft and foreign-licensed aircrew.

On Feb 13 last year, a Blackshape Gabriél BK 160TR (bearing the registration mark of I-POOC), with the call sign ADV429 and operated by Aviation Safety Technology Pte Ltd, Singapore, departed the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang, Selangor, to the West of Kapar area for a leisure or recreational flight.

At about 1.36 pm, the aircraft crashed into a small-holding oil palm plantation located in Kampung Tok Muda near Kapar.

The aircraft was found destroyed, and the two occupants of the aircraft were fatally injured.

-- BERNAMA