Malaysian police helicopter crashes into river during emergency landing

A police helicopter crashed into a river in Johor, Malaysia, on Wednesday morning while trying to make an emergency landing. The incident happened in the Sungai Pulai area, according to local media reports.

The helicopter was on a routine military training flight at the time of the accident. All five crew members on board were safely rescued.

After the rescue, the injured officers were taken to Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Bahru for treatment. The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) confirmed that the Air Accident Investigation Bureau will investigate the incident.

Crash happened just minutes after takeoff

CAAM stated that the helicopter took off from the Tanjung Kupang Police Station at 9:51 AM. However, just a few minutes later, a technical problem forced the crew to make an emergency landing — leading to the helicopter crashing directly into the river.

Although no lives were lost, Malaysian authorities have classified this as a serious air accident and have begun a full investigation.

Helicopter was 30 years old

The crashed helicopter was a French-made Airbus AS355N model — a light, single-rotor utility helicopter widely used for police, charter, and corporate purposes.

Malaysia’s police force had acquired this helicopter in 1996. In November 2023, a tender had already been announced to purchase a replacement for this aging aircraft.