IPOH, Sept 11 — A helicopter with just the pilot on board has been reported missing near Bidor while flying from Subang to Ipoh shortly after noon today.

The Eurocopter helicopter, privately owned, took off from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport at 11.37am and was supposed to have landed at the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport at 12.37pm, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong said.

However, it lost radio contact with the Kuala Lumpur Air Traffic Control Centre (KLATCC) at 12.16pm before the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) reported the aircraft as missing, he told reporters here today.

Wee said the aircraft’s last known location was a forest area near Bidor.

"CAAM and the police will issue further statements on the incident and a search and rescue operation is underway,” he said after a visit to the KTMB railway station here.

Wee said a CAAM team led by its chief executive officer Datuk Captain Chester Voo, with the cooperation of Tapah police, is carrying out a ground search.

"We pray that the search and rescue team will obtain the necessary information to pinpoint the exact location of the aircraft, and we hope any news received is a good one.

"According to the control tower, the radar showed that the aircraft is already on ground level, but we need to be certain and not make assumptions. A full report will be issued by CAAM,” he said.

Tapah district police chief Supt Wan Azharuddin Wan Ismail, when contacted, said coordinates provided by CAAM indicate that the helicopter’s last known position was near the Chikus forest reserve, near Langkap in Teluk Intan.

Along with a Fire and Rescue Department team, Tapah and Teluk Intan police are conducting a search in that area, he added. — Bernama