2024 Lumut mid-air collision
Crash of two Royal Malaysian Navy helicopters
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Lumut, a town in the western Malaysian state of Perak, is the headquarters of the Royal Malaysian Navy.
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Collision
The collision occurred during a military parade rehearsal to commemorate the upcoming 90th anniversary of the Navy. Based on normal parade procedures, aircraft will perform a tactical fly past at the same time ground parade units perform "general salute, present arms!". During the demonstration, one helicopter clipped the other's rotor, causing both to lose control and crashed within the grounds of the Lumut Naval Base. The AW139 crashed near the stairs of the Naval Base Stadium while the Fennec crashed near a swimming pool. Both aircraft suffered total hull loss upon impact.
Cause
Malaysian investigators determined the crash was caused by pilot error.
Crew and passengers
The Agusta Westland AW139, also known as M503-3, had four crew and three passengers.
- Commander Muhammad Firdaus bin Ramli RMN - CO of 503 Squadron
- Lieutenant Commander Wan Rezaudeen Kamal bin Wan Zainal Abidin RMN
- Lieutenant Commander Mohammad Amirulfaris bin Mohamad Marzukhi RMN
- Warrant Officer II (AQM) Muhammad Faisol bin Tamadun
- Warrant Officer II TNL Noorfarahimi binti Mohd Saedy (Passenger)
- Petty Officer TNL Noor Rahiza binti Anuar (Passenger)
- Able Rate JJM Joanna Felicia anak Rohna (Passenger)
The Eurocopter Fennec, also known as M502-6, had three crew.
- Commander Muhamad Amir bin Mohamad RMN - CO of 502 Squadron
- Lieutenant Sivasutan a/l Thanjappan RMN
- Warrant Officer II TMK Mohd Shahrizan bin Mohd Termizi
Aftermath
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called the crash a loss for the nation and offered condolences to the families of the victims. He also said both the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Ministry of Defence would carry out a probe into it. Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said that the bodies of those killed would be brought to a hospital in Ipoh before being buried in accordance with their families' wishes. He mentioned that authorities would cover the funeral costs and explore providing compensation and benefits to the families of the victims.
In June 2026, footage of the crash uploaded by CNA was widely shared on social media. Viral posts on platforms including TikTok, Facebook and X falsely labeled the video as footage of the 2026 Rio de Janeiro mid-air collision that killed American musician Oliver Tree, Argentinian YouTuber Gaspi, Argentinian director and screenwriter Lucas A. Vignale, Brazilian DJ Lucas Frota and two others.