British expert to probe into crash

British expert to probe into crash

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): An aviation expert from Britain's Air Accident Investigation Board has arrived to help investigate the helicopter crash which killed auto king Yahaya Ahmad, a senior aviation official said yesterday.

"He is here to find out the cause of the accident. It is premature to say what caused the accident. Let it be treated as an accident first," Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) Director- General Zaini Omar said.

Yahaya was killed along with his wife and their pilot when his company's Italian-made Agusta helicopter crashed on March 10 while flying the couple to eastern Terengganu state to visit his sick mother, who died days after her son.

His death has triggered widespread rumors and reports in the foreign media suggesting sabotage could have caused the accident and saying bullets and a gun were found in the crash debris. "We are keeping an open mind as to the cause of the accident," Zaini said.