Close shave for 4 after helicopter catches fire at Subang airport

The Selangor fire and rescue department said four people managed to escape from the helicopter which caught fire at Subang airport earlier today. (JBPM pic)PETALING JAYA: An aviation maintenance company has denied that a helicopter caught fire at its facility at Subang airport, contrary to a report by the fire and rescue department.KarbonMRO also denied any links to the Kamov Ka-32S helicopter involved in the incident.“The incident did not take place at KarbonMRO’s facility, and the helicopter involved is not a KarbonMRO customer," the company’s head of marketing Trixie Guantero said in a statement.Guantero added that as an aviation organisation, safety, accuracy and professional integrity are fundamental to everything they do.Earlier, the Selangor fire and rescue department said it was alerted about the incident at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport at 12.30pm.The department said four people, who have been identified as Ukrainians, managed to escape from the helicopter.Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) said the runway reopened at 2.57pm.Its CEO, Norazman Mahmud, said the incident occurred at Taxiway Victor, which led to a temporary suspension of flights.He said during the runway closure, eight inbound flights were diverted to other airports while three departing flights had to be delayed."Passengers are advised to check with their respective airlines for the latest updates on their flights," he said, reported Bernama.CAAM said earlier that the helicopter caught fire while undergoing an engine ground run as part of maintenance activities. A minor explosion occurred before the Kamov Ka-32S helicopter caught fire.

(JBPM pic)PETALING JAYA: A helicopter with four people on board caught fire following a minor explosion just before takeoff at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (SZB) in Subang today.However, no casualties were reported.In a statement, the Selangor fire and rescue department said it was alerted to the incident at the KarbonMRO aviation maintenance company, located at the airport, at 12.30pm."Four victims managed to escape from the helicopter. Firemen are still working to put out the fire at the location.”It is learnt that the four male victims, comprising the pilot, his co-pilot and two crew members, are Ukrainians.Separately, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia said the Kamov Ka-32S helicopter was undergoing an engine ground run as part of maintenance activities just before the incident.“The runway is currently closed. All flights to and from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang, are currently on hold until further notice.“Passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines.”CAAM also said the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will probe the incident.