Transport Minister Anthony Loke. -NSTP/HAIRUL ANUAR RAHIM
Transport Minister Anthony Loke. -NSTP/HAIRUL ANUAR RAHIM

KUALA LUMPUR: The preliminary report of the doomed Beechcraft Model 390 (Premier 1) crash is expected to be released during the second week of September, said Anthony Loke.

The Transport Minister said the 30-minute audio of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) was still being analysed by the ministry's Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) after the data was transmitted from the United States on Monday.

"As I have promised, the preliminary report will be out within 30 days of the Aug 17 incident.

"The deadline is Sept 17. I want to do it before Malaysia Day (Sept 16)," he said at the Malaysian International Trade and Exhibition Centre, here, today.

Loke had earlier this week said the preliminary report will be published on the ministry's website and handed over to the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

Loke added that AAIB head Brigadier-General Tan Chee Kee will be flying home tomorrow from the US.

Tan was expected to return to Malaysia immediately after the successful audio extraction on Monday but it had to be delayed due to the Category 3 hurricane in Florida.

On Tuesday, Loke said the CVR audio was successfully extracted and the voice recording of the aircraft in the Aug 17 crash in Bandar Elmina, Shah Alam was very clear and in good condition.

The data was successfully downloaded and transmitted back to Malaysia via a safe e-mail system and investigators had begun to process, analyse and investigate in the lab.

On Aug 17, 10 people were killed in the deadly private jet crash on the Guthrie Highway near Bandar Elmina, just minutes from landing at the nearby Subang's Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport from Langkawi.

Initial investigations showed that the aircraft with eight people onboard veered to the right from its flight path before the crash.

The victims were six passengers, including Pahang's Pelangai state assemblyman Datuk Seri Johari Harun, two pilots and two on the ground motorists who were struck by the aircraft.

CAAM chief executive officer Datuk Captain Norazman Mahmud had said the aircraft departed from Langkawi International Airport at 2.08pm bound for Subang's Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport.

The first contact made by the aircraft with Subang Air Traffic Control Tower was at 2.47pm and landing clearance was given at 2.48pm, he said.

At 2.51pm, the Subang Air Traffic Control Tower observed smoke plummeting from the crash site but no mayday call was made by the aircraft, he added.

The victims, as listed in the flight manifest were Johari, 53; Kharil Azwan Jamaludin, 43; Shaharul Amir Omar, 49; Mohamad Naim Fawwaz Mohamed Muaidi, 35; Muhammad Taufiq Mohd Zaki, 37; and Idris Abdol Talib @ Ramali, 41.

The aircraft, confirmed to be airworthy, was piloted by Shahrul Kamal Roslan, 41, and assisted by Heikal Aras Abdul Azim, 45, who were both experienced and had valid licences.

Rescue workers recovered one intact body and human remains were removed from the scene and brought to the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang for post mortem.

The victims' next-of-kin were also asked to give their DNA samples at the Klang Selatan district police headquarters for identification purposes.

On Aug 18, the AAIB began analysing the CVR.

Loke said investigators managed to open the CVR and removed the memory puck component that contained the voice recording data from the plane.

However, they were unable to recover the data as it was badly damaged.

Singapore's Transport Safety Investigation Bureau offered their help to obtain the data.

On Aug 21, Loke said the CVR would be sent to Florida after Singaporean investigators had difficulties in data extraction from the memory puck.

On Aug 24, Tan and his team of investigators left for Florida for the data retrieval process.