Human error by flight crew is primary cause of horrific 2023 Selangor plane crash, says report

PETALING JAYA - A final report by Malaysia’s Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) investigating

an air crash involving a private jet in Selangor

in August last year concluded that human error by the flight crew was the primary cause of the accident.

The report released by the Transport Ministry on Aug 16 revealed that the accident was caused by the accidental extension of devices known as lift dump spoilers by the two-man flight crew during a pre-landing checklist routine.

The report also said other factors that led to the accident include deviations from standard operating procedures, inadequate crew training, regulatory grey areas and deficiencies in communication and decision-making.

Lift dumpers or spoilers are devices used to reduce an aeroplane’s lift, thereby increasing drag and are commonly located on the wings.

It is either deployed or retracted in default.

When an aircraft needs to slow down, pilots deploy the lift dumpers which extend over the wings to decrease lift and increase drag simultaneously.

However, during landing, lift dumpers in most newer aircraft activate automatically to keep speed more manageable.

On Aug 17, 2023, the private jet, a Beechcraft Model 390, departed Langkawi International Airport and was en route to Subang Airport in Selangor when it crashed at the Elmina township just two minutes before landing, killing 10 people.

Those killed included six passengers and two pilots on the plane. Two others – an e-hailing driver and a delivery rider on a motorbike – were hit by the plane on the ground. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK