2024 Lumut mid-air collision

On 23 April 2024 at 09:32 MYT, two Royal Malaysian Navy helicopters – an AgustaWestland AW139 and a Eurocopter Fennec – collided over the Malaysian town of Lumut during a military parade rehearsal celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Royal Malaysian Navy. Ten people – seven on the AW139 and three on the Fennec – were killed. There were no survivors. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

Background
Lumut, a town in the western Malaysian state of Perak, is the headquarters of the Royal Malaysian Navy.

Collision
The collision occurred during a military parade rehearsal to commemorate the upcoming 90th anniversary of the Navy. During a demonstration, one helicopter clipped the other's rotor, causing both to lose control and end up crashing within the grounds of the Lumut Naval Base. The AW139 crashed near the stairs of the Naval Base Stadium while the Fennec crashed near a swimming pool. Both aircraft suffered total hull loss upon impact.

Crew and passengers
The Agusta Westland AW139, also known as M503-3, had four crew and three passengers.


 * 1) Commander Muhammad Firdaus bin Ramli RMN - CO of 503 Squadron
 * 2) Lieutenant Commander Wan Rezaudeen Kamal bin Wan Zainal Abidin RMN
 * 3) Lieutenant Commander Mohammad Amirulfaris bin Mohamad Marzukhi RMN
 * 4) Warrant Officer II (AQM) Muhammad Faisol bin Tamadun
 * 5) Warrant Officer II TNL Noorfarahimi binti Mohd Saedy (Passenger)
 * 6) Petty Officer TNL Noor Rahiza binti Anuar (Passenger)
 * 7) Able Rate JJM Joanna Felicia anak Rohna (Passenger)

The Eurocopter Fennec, also known as M502-6, had three crew.


 * 1) Commander Muhamad Amir bin Mohamad RMN - CO of 502 Squadron.
 * 2) Lieutenant Sivasutan a/l Thanjappan RMN
 * 3) Warrant Officer II TMK Mohd Shahrizan bin Mohd Termizi

Aftermath
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called the crash a loss for the nation and gave condolences to the families of the victims. He also said both the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Ministry of Defence would carry out a probe into it. Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said that the bodies of those killed would be brought to a hospital in Ipoh before being buried in accordance with their families' wishes. He mentioned that authorities would cover the funeral costs and explore providing compensation and benefits to the families of the victims.

A defence analyst interviewed by CNA said that the crash "could be Malaysia’s worst military accident in terms of fatalities."