KUALA LUMPUR — A video clip capturing the final moments of the Beechcraft 390 (Premiere 1) that crashed near the Elmina township on Thursday has raised more questions among the netizens.
In the TikTok video, a flash could be seen on the left side of the aircraft before it crashed.
This was pointed out by a TikTok user @hansss87, who claimed to have seen an unidentified object flying into the plane before it descended.
“I don’t know, maybe (it was) a bird, since it flew towards the plane,” the user said after being asked by netizens in the comment section.
@wartautusan Melihat rakaman dari @SoyaCincautiktok ternampak seperti ada letupan berlaku sebaik sebelum pesawat membelok. Kemungkinan #birdstrike? Hanya penyiasat sahaja yang boleh membuktikan. Al Fatihah. Video Soya Cincau #elmina #tragedielmina #beechcraft #malaysia #wartautusan ♬ Creepy Violins – Apollo Nove
Meanwhile, another user @nimaroem claimed that it was a spark coming out from the aircraft’s left engine before being rebutted by @ikhwanzakryz, who said: “If the engine had sparked, usually there would be a trail of black smoke. But, it seemed like a reflection from the sun”.
However, a TikTok user who goes by the name of Kak Ros disputed the possibility, saying: “Sun rays (come) from above, it’s impossible (that) the reflection is below the aircraft’s wing.”
Other netizens pointed out that the aircraft had made a sudden unnatural turn, just minutes before it was scheduled to land.
At the same time, TikTok user @terpaling.politik said the aircraft “overbanked” as it was turning.
“It might be (an) electrical failure, or the pilot got sick.”
Similarly, user @rockyj080 said the crash could have been caused by system failure due to poor maintenance flights.
Pilot Shahrul Kamal Roslan’s brother-in-law Syed Tahir Syed Mohd vouched for his competence in handling an aircraft, adding that the former had worked in several airline companies before this.
The incident, which occurred at about 2.50pm on Thursday, resulted in 10 casualties, of which six were passengers and two crew members onboard the flight. The remaining two victims were a motorcyclist and a motorcar driver.
The plane was en route from the Langkawi International Airport to the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang. — August 20, 2023