Three paratroopers killed during mock
exercise
LANGKAWI: Three army paratroopers, including two women, from an
elite army commando unit were killed and five others seriously
injured when a mock exercise to seize the international airport at
Padang Matsirat here went awry.
Erratic wind patterns during the exercise blew 18 paratroopers off
course some of them plunged into the sea 30m off the airport's
runway while others landed hard on the tarmac.
Hard landing: Some of the paratroopers landed hard on the Langkawi
airport tarmac while some others landed in the sea due to strong
winds during the mock exercise which went awry yesterday.
Langkawi OCPD Supt Mohamad Ali Jamaluddin said the dead were
identified as Trooper Raimond Duncan, 25, from Simunjan, Sarawak;
Private Nurul Wahida Yunos, 20, from Tanjung Malim, Perak; and
Ranger Siti Hajar Yakub, 24, from Masjid Tanah, Malacca.
The exercise, carried out yesterday morning, was a full-dress
rehearsal for the opening ceremony of the Langkawi International
Maritime and Aerospace (Lima) 2007 exhibition, which begins here
tomorrow.
The incident occurred shortly after the paratroopers, all from the
10th Brigade Para based at Terendak Camp, Malacca, jumped out of
two planes at an altitude of 4,000m at 10.30am.
Army chief Jen Tan Sri Muhammad Ismail Jamaluddin said the
paratroopers had jumped from the aircraft within the wind speed
tolerance allowed.
According to the standard operating procedure (SOP), paratroopers
should not jump when the wind speed is above 11 knots. However, the
wind speed at the point of incident was eight knots. Id never
allow my soldiers to jump if it had been above the acceptable wind
speed, he said.
Helping hand: One of the paratroopers being freed after his
parachute got caught on a plane at the Langkawi airport tarmac
yesterday.
Supt Mohamad Ali said some of the soldiers were rescued by
fishermen who were fishing in the area while the police and other
rescue agencies, including the army, launched a search and rescue
operation when they realised that some of the soldiers had landed
in the water.
Siti Hajar drowned while Duncan and Nurul Wahida died at the
Langkawi Hospital. It is learnt that the three dead paratroopers
were entangled by their parachute cords.
A source told The Star that the army dive master stopped 22 other
paratroopers from jumping after they realised that the situation
was unsafe.
The source said 11 paratroopers were injured in the incident
including several who landed hard on the tarmac and had their
parachutes dragged by the strong wind.
At least three soldiers were injured after they landed on top of
aircraft parked on the tarmac for the Lima exhibition.
The soldiers were taken to the hospital by ambulances on standby at
the airport.
Royal Malaysian Air Force public relations officer Mej Zulkiflee
Abdul Latiff said the accident occurred due to uncertain wind
conditions
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/12/3/nation/19645874&sec=nation
