KUALA LUMPUR: An aviation expert has called for better training for pilots and tougher enforcement by authorities on foreign-registered aircraft in light of the full report of the 2023 Elmina air crash, in which eight people died.

Associate Professor Major Dr Mohd Harridon Mohamed Suffian, the Universiti Kuala Lumpur Aviation Technology Institute search and rescue department head, said the pilots should have been vigilant about the technicalities and risk associated with aircraft functions.

"While not apportioning blame to those involved, this is a tragedy that could have been avoided as pilots are trained to operate the lift dump spoilers and many hours are spent to improve their proficiency in flying.

"The report indicated that the second-in-command was not familiar with the risk of deploying the spoilers, so flight training should be changed to deal with this problem."

He said the report also mentioned an anomaly regarding the two pilots' seating position.

He said pilots should be more disciplined and not change seats.

Yesterday, the final crash report released by the Air Accident Investigation Bureau found that the primary cause of the crash was the inadvertent extension of the lift dump spoilers by the second-in-command before landing.

Lift dump spoilers are a device to reduce lift on an aircraft's wings during landing.

Referring to the report's findings, Harridon said the authorities must ensure aviation companies followed the regulations on foreign-registered aircraft operations.

He said it was important for the aviation industry to have a meeting with regulators to ensure aviation firms complied with the rules.

Yesterday, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) said it had begun a review of a regulation to ensure better oversight of foreign-registered aircraft.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/08/1092875/better-training-pilots-stricter-oversight-foreign-registered-aircraft