Black box of downed maritime chopper found

The black box was located approximately 760 metres from the crash site. (Maritim Malaysia pic)

PETALING JAYA: The black box of a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) helicopter, which made an emergency landing during a rescue training operation on March 5 off the waters of Kuala Selangor, has been recovered after 44 days of searching.

MMEA director-general Hamid Amin said the device was located approximately 760 metres from the crash site at a depth of 1.9 nautical miles south of Pulau Angsa.

He said the black box had been sent to a laboratory for data analysis to determine the exact cause of the incident.

“We expect to receive the analysis results soon, since the black box was not severely damaged,” he said in a statement.

Hamid said the search operation involved 21 divers who faced strong currents and limited visibility due to a muddy seabed. The search was supported by the navy’s National Hydrographic Centre sonar crew, the Air Accident Investigation Bureau, and other maritime and aviation units.

The AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter made an emergency landing in the water at about 9.55am on March 5 while performing a rescue exercise.

There were no casualties and fisherfolk at the scene provided first aid to the victims before search and rescue teams arrived.