Quick-thinking security guard saves pilot’s life in Bentong helicopter crash

BENTONG, Feb 7 — A security guard is thankful that his quick action in sprinting towards a helicopter that crashed while landing to refuel in Bentong yesterday resulted in him saving the pilot’s life.

Muhammad Solehhin Zainal Ariffin, 38, who has only been on the job at the landing site for slightly over a month, said the weather at that time was good and he was on duty with another colleague.

“The landing site is used by helicopters owned by the company I work for to refuel and I normally would go out from the guard room to ensure the area is safe when refuelling is being carried out.

“At first, everything seemed normal but when the helicopter was at a low level and was about to land, it suddenly overturned, causing one of its rotor blades to strike a ground crew and the helicopter then caught fire,” he said when met here today.

Muhammad Solehhin said he ran straight towards the front part of the helicopter and found the pilot, who was in shock, before quickly pulling him to safety as the fire began to spread.

“While I was pulling him out, I could feel the searing heat but I continued to try to get him out as he was still alive and I also consider him a friend because I’ve known him for the past few weeks.

“I managed to look at the ground crew who was struck by the helicopter’s rotor blade before calling up all the phone numbers that I had been told to call should such an incident occur,” he said.

Yesterday, the media reported that the incident claimed the life of an Indonesian ground crew, engineer Finsen Reskey Sembiring, 27, while the rescued pilot, also an Indonesian, was identified as Kustiyadi, 44.

Muhammad Solehhin said he got to know both men over the last few weeks as they would often chat with him while taking a break at the landing site.

“I enjoyed talking with them almost daily as they would tell me so many fascinating things, including about helicopters. Finsen once told me that anyone struck by the rotor blades would have no chance of survival. I’m sad and never expected it to happen to him,” he said.

The Bell 206L4 helicopter was reported to have caught fire while landing for refuelling at Batu 9 in Jalan Lama Bentong-Kuala Lumpur in the 10.20am incident yesterday.

Police confirmed that the autopsy on the engineer was completed today while investigations by the Transport Ministry’s Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) are expected to be completed today. — Bernama