JOHOR BARU: The police AS355N helicopter bearing registration number 9M-PHG, which recently crashed in Gelang Patah, is being remembered for its extensive service in critical and humanitarian missions.

Since news of its crash in Sungai Pulai during a nuclear detection training exercise last Thursday, many have recalled their experiences with the aircraft, whether flying in it or witnessing its role in various operations.

Police Air Operation Force commander Datuk Noor Sham Md Jani described the 28-year-old aircraft as 'small but mighty', highlighting its key contribution during the 2013 Lahad Datu intrusion by Sulu militants in Kampung Tanduo, Sabah.

Noor Sham, who has logged nearly 7,000 flight hours on the AS355N, said he flew 9M-PHG to evacuate injured General Operations Force (GOF) personnel to hospitals in Sandakan and Lahad Datu during the armed standoff.

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"From day one of the incident, three AS355N helicopters, including 9M-PHG, and their crews were stationed in Lahad Datu for nearly three weeks before the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) aircraft arrived," he told Bernama.

The helicopter was involved in an accident at 10.15am on Thursday during the Multilateral Nuclear Security Detection Exercise (MITSATOM) 2025 at the Gelang Patah Maritime Jetty.

The exercise involved Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) said the helicopter had departed from the Tanjung Kupang police station at 9.51am with five people on board, including the pilot.

Noor Sham said 9M-PHG had just participated in the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2025 (Lima '25) and was one of the most frequently deployed aircraft for humanitarian missions, including disaster relief, flood evacuations, as well as traffic and crime surveillance.

The aircraft also supported major national operations, such as aerial surveillance during the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping in April and during the enforcement of the Covid-19 Movement Control Order (MCO).

"Its compact size made it ideal for command-and-control tasks.

"We often used it for initial reconnaissance because of its ability to manoeuvre in tight areas, before deploying larger aircraft like the AW139 if needed," he said.

In Johor, 9M-PHG was used to airlift three pregnant women, aged 22 to 33, from flood-isolated Orang Asli villages in Kahang, Kluang, to the hospital.

Police force currently operates five AS355N helicopters, with two of them in Sabah, one in Sarawak and two in Peninsular Malaysia, including 9M-PHG.

– Bernama