Kota Kinabalu: On the last flight from Kota Kinabalu to Labuan at the invitation of Captain Ghandi, another Sabah Air pilot (Captain Kevin Sario) occupied the right-hand seat.
This pilot was not endorsed on the Nomad and was not involved in its operation apart from brief periods in straight and level flight in the cruise when he was permitted to handle the controls.
This pilot reported that the flight appeared normal.
After arriving at Labuan, a quantity of baggage and freight was loaded into the front and rear lockers of the aircraft. Captain Ghandi supervised the loading of the front locker (which contained only suitcases) and the co-pilot supervised the loading of the baggage and freight into the rear locker.
None of the baggage and freight was weighed prior to placement in the aircraft and the driver of the vehicle which brought the baggage to the aircraft reported that the rear locker was about three-quarters full.
After the loading, the aircraft was then taxied to and parked in front of the VIP terminal to avait the arrival of the passengers.
“When the passengers arrived at the aircraft, it was found that 10 persons wished to travel to Kota Kinabalu and as the aircraft was equipped with only nine passenger seats in the cabin, the pilot who had accompanied Captain Ghandi to Labuan was off-loaded and a passenger occupied the co- pilot’s seat.
This tenth passenger was the son of the Chief Minister (Johari Stephens) and he was an inexperienced student pilot. Captain Ghandi did not supervise the loading of the passengers he sat in the pilot’s seat during this period.
“After the passengers were loaded, the engines were started and the aircraft taxied for departure which occurred at 1509 hours.
A witness reported that the aircraft was in a very tail-down attitude prior to taxying.
The take-off was reported as being longer than normal followed by a fairly shallow climb-out. (We later found out that it is normal practice in Sabah Air to carry out flapless take-offs and landings when carrying VIP’s).
“During the flight to Kota Kinabalu the aircraft cruised at an altitude of 5,000 ft. and appropriate en-route position reports were made to ATC. 8. When the aircraft was some six miles from Kota Kinabalu and the pilot had reported the airfield was in sight, he was cleared by ATC to descend to 3,000 ft and join straight onto the downwind leg for a right hand circuit onto runway 20.
“This clearance was acknowledged by Captain Ghandi. The aircraft descended to 3,000 ft on the downwind leg (somewhat higher than normal) and was cleared by ATC for further descent with a requirement for the pilot to advise that he was passing 2,000 ft.”
This call was also acknowledged by the pilot. Captain Ghandi reported high downwind and was cleared to final approach.
Shortly thereafter, the preceding aircraft landed so ATC advised the Nomad pilot that he was number one in the pattern and again requested him to report when he was passing 2,000 ft.
The acknowledgement of this instruction was the last transmission received from the aircraft.
When the aircraft was lined up for its final approach, ATC advised that it was cleared to land.
This call was repeated because there was no reply and shortly after that the aircraft crashed.
“There were a number of eye-witnesses to the accident and from the expert evidence available it was possible to determine that the aircraft entered a spin from which it did not recover.
Shortly after lining up with the runway at an estimated height of 800 ft. AGL the nose of the aircraft was seen to rise to a fairly high altitude, the right wing dropped and the aircraft yawed and rolled to starboard.
“After one turn of the spin, the aircraft appeared to recover momentarily in a nose down attitude but almost immediately recommenced spinning to the right and after about one and one-half turns struck the water in a steep nose down attitude,” said the report, adding at the time of the accident the weather was clear with a surface wind of 280°, 5 Kts.”
The Daily Express’ award winning team of journalists presents ‘Double Six: The Untold Stories’, a documentary on the plane crash in Sabah (East Malaysia) killing the newly-elected Chief Minister of Sabah Tun Mohd Fuad Stephens, four state ministers and six others on June 6th, 1976. After 46 years the findings of the crash also known to many as The Double Six Tragedy have not been disclosed. Note: This series unravels information not previously available to the public, but does not in any way attribute blame for the crash on any party.
