KUALA LUMPUR: An eyewitness recalled how a red helicopter grazed the tail of a blue helicopter, causing it to break.
Puteri Nur Elani Ismail, 25, also witnessed the helicopter crashing to the ground in Taman Melawati earlier today.
In the accident, the helicopters, with the registration numbers 9M-HCA (red livery) and 9M- HCB (blue livery) were said to have grazed mid-air before one of it crashed. The crash killed both who were onboard, later identified as Commander (Rtd) Mohamed Sabri Baharom and Mohd Irfan Mohamed Rawi.
The pilot of the other helicopter managed to manouevre an emergency landing on the field of SJKT Taman Melawati.
Puteri Nur Elani, a private college student, was collecting Melostoma leaves near the Bukit Emas roundabout, some 500 metres from the crash location.
She said prior to the crash, she heard a helicopter hovering but thought it belonged to the Royal Malaysian Police conducting a survey.
"When I looked, I saw two helicopters flying, the blue in front and the red behind. Suddenly the red (chopper) struck the blue (helicopter) in the back.
"As a result of the collision, the rear section of the blue helicopter snapped off and the red helicopter began stalling. Then the blue helicopter plunged, followed by a loud bang.
"Meanwhile, the red helicopter continued with its journey and I believe landed in a nearby school area," she said when met at the scene.
Elaini said she immediately rushed to the scene of the crashed helicopter and saw people and Police already converging.
Menwhile, Taman Melawati Hillside Apartment's Security Officer Chan Chee Hoy said he heard a loud bang like an explosion.
"Before that, I heard a noise and thought there was a lorry carrying goods because the route here is often passed by heavy vehicles.
"I came out of the guard hut and was surprised to see a blue helicopter had crashed among the bushes in front of the apartment," he said.
Another eyewitness, Yudish G. Dorai who lives less than half a kilometer away from the crash site said he heard a loud explosion sort of sound before the helicopter crashed.
The occupants of the other helicopter survived with injuries, later identified as former MAS Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Datuk Ahmad Jauhari Yahaya and Tan Chai Eian.