KUALA LUMPUR: The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of the aircraft Beechcraft Model 390 (Premier 1) that crashed in Elmina, Shah Alam and had failed to be retrieved by the laboratory in Singapore will be sent to the manufacturer in Florida, United States of America (USA).
The Minister of Transport, Anthony Loke Siew Fook said, the CVR will be sent to USA shortly after receiving information from the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Tuesday.
“I received a report from the chief of the bureau this morning that the laboratory in Singapore had also failed to retrieve the recorded voice following several technical issues and constraints.
“The chief bureau will return to Kuala Lumpur today (Tuesday) and will explain the case to me. The follow-up action is probably the ‘memory puck’ needs to be sent to USA for analysis.
“The AAIB team will probably be sent earlier to Florida in the attempt to retrieve the voice recorded,” Anthony Loke said at the press conference after officiating the Aviation Safety Seminar 2023, Tuesday.
Earlier as reported by the media, the CVR was sent to Singapore to obtain the last 30 minutes voice recorded before the aircraft crashed after AAIB had difficulties following the “memory puck” was in a bad condition.
Meanwhile on the capabilities of Malaysia to analyse data related to the air transport crash, Anthony Loke said, the government is in its efforts to improve the facilities including the CVT data analysis.
“It is not the question that we do not want to do it in Malaysia but there is a constraint and the equipments need investment. In emergency situation, we have to get aid from outside and my priority is to give an answer to the victims’ families and the public the soonest possible,” he said.
According to Anthony Loke, cost is not the issue in cases like this as the ministry has the budget and it is the responsibility of AAIB to run the probe.
The minister said that when asked on the cost incurred by the government to send the CVR to Singapore and the USA.
On the allegation of certain quarters that the ministry had been “meddling” with the investigation of the air crash as it should be left to the police or Home Ministry, Anthony Loke said: “The ministry is not meddling with the investigations as it falls under the purview of the Civil Aviation Authority Malaysia (CAAM) and the AAIB.
“It is in fact the responsibility of the AAIB to ensure the aviation safety and human lives,” he said. – Malaysia World News
