PUTRAJAYA, July 22 — Seven individuals, including the pilot of a Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) helicopter, were reported to be safe after it crashed in the UniKL MIAT Hangar apron area near the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang, Selangor at 11.52am today.

Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) chief executive officer Capt Norazman Mahmud said the Leonardo S.p.A AW189 helicopter with the registration number 9M-BOF was undergoing a flight test with three Fire and Rescue Department personnel and four flight engineers on board when the crash occurred.

"The Airport Fire and Rescue Service responded immediately after the Subang air control tower received a report of the accident.

"There were seven people on board, including the pilot, and all are reported to be in stable condition,” he said in a statement here today, adding that further investigation will be conducted by the Transport Ministry’s Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) in accordance with Part XXVI of the Civil Aviation Regulations 2016.

Initial reports indicated that the helicopter was in the process of landing when it crashed.

JBPM Fire and Rescue Operation Division director Datuk Ahmad Izram Osman said the helicopter was not conducting a normal flight but was undergoing maintenance.

"The helicopter has been in operation for a long time and was undergoing maintenance, including ascent and descent processes.

"Maybe it hit the ground hard while landing, it wasn’t from high above, it would have disintegrated if it was... I was informed that the helicopter rotors are broken,” he said when contacted by Bernama, adding that the seven crash victims were sent to the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital, Klang, Selangor for further treatment. — Bernama