‘Why was Double-Six disaster report kept under wraps at all?’

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KOTA KINABALU – The declassification of the Double-Six air crash investigation report by the federal government has met lacklustre reactions from those who have been closely observing the matter for years. 

Datuk Donald Mojuntin told The Vibes he was surprised the government decided to classify the report in the first place, describing the contents as only “normal”.

He said none of the contents have anything of public interest aside from the pilot’s alleged inexperience or negligence, which he said are not grounds to place the report under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).

“The biggest question now is why it was classified in the first place, not bringing closure to the families of the victims? This is what boggles our minds.

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Tun Fuad’s family wants Australia to release reports on Double-Six crash

KOTA KINABALU – The family members of former Sabah chief minister Tun Fuad Stephens who died in the Double-Six air crash said Malaysia’s declassification of an investigation report on the tragedy will not give a complete picture unless Australia’s reports on the matter are also released.

“In all fairness to the people and organisations that might be negatively mentioned in the report – such as the pilot –  we feel that we won’t get a complete picture of the cause of this crash unless we see all the reports from Australia,” the family said in a statement last night.

“There are reports on the Nomad plane stashed away in the Australian Defence Ministry, Government Aircraft Factory reports (the plane’s manufacturer), and the many folios in the Australian Archives which have been hidden from public view.

“We need to push for the release of all these documents,” the family said. 

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No idea why ‘Double Six tragedy’ report classified under OSA, says Loke

PETALING JAYA: Transport minister Loke Siew Fook said he is unable to provide a reason as to why the report on the “Double Six tragedy” was classified under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) for the last 47 years.

He said the report was probably classified because it was “standard procedure” to do so for such reports in the past.

“I don’t know for sure and cannot answer why on behalf of the then government,” he told reporters at a press conference today.

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‘Families of Double Six victims’ demand for full disclosure will be brought to cabinet’

KOTA KINABALU – The demand from family members of the Double Six air crash victims and observers for a full disclosure into the incident will be brought to the cabinet, said Datuk Ewon Benedick. 

The Penampang MP said he fully understood the emotions of the family members and some Sabahans affected by the tragedy, who still could not find the answers they expected after the crash report was made public on Tuesday.

“I fully understand their emotions as well as some Sabahans who did not get what they expected from what was revealed in the report.

“I am not going to comment on the findings in the report, but suffice it for me to point out that I have done my part as a member of the federal cabinet from Sabah.

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Australia working on releasing its Double Six reports

PETALING JAYA: Canberra is currently working through its domestic legal process in order to release its reports on the Double Six tragedy, the Australian High Commission said.

Its commissioner Justin Lee said his government was working closely with Putrajaya on the release of the reports, The Star reported.

Lee also said that Australia acknowledged the June 6, 1976, plane crash as a tragic incident.

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Australia to release report on Double Six tragedy

PETALING JAYA: An Australian tribunal has greenlit the release of the country’s report on the 1976 plane crash that claimed the lives of then Sabah chief minister Fuad Stephens and 10 others.

The aircraft was produced by the Government Aircraft Factories (GAF) of Australia.

The Australian Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) decided to allow for the release of the report yesterday, according to lawyers representing former Sabah chief minister Harris Salleh, the Malay Mail reported.

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Airline in Double Six crash was operating illegally, says Aussie report

PETALING JAYA: The airline that operated the ill-fated aircraft that crashed in 1976 and claimed the lives of then Sabah chief minister Fuad Stephens and 10 others was essentially operating illegally, according to the Australian tribunal’s report on the crash.

The report said Sabah Air had submitted the draft of its operations manual towards the end of 1975, but this was never approved by the then civil aviation department (CAD).

“In this regard, Sabah Air was operating illegally,” said the report that was released by the Australian government today.

Earlier in the report, the tribunal said that a number of facts emerged during the course of the investigations which revealed not only a “singularly poor operation” by Sabah Air, but also a “failure on the part of the CAD” to fulfil their obligations as the local certificating authority.

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Why was Sabah Air allowed to operate illegally, asks ex-MP

PETALING JAYA: A former MP has called on the federal and Sabah governments to explain their role in allowing Sabah Air, the airline involved in the Double Six crash, to operate illegally.

“The revelation (that Sabah Air was operating illegally) in the Australian report is shocking. It raises even more questions,” Darell Leiking told FMT.

The former Penampang MP was commenting on the declassified report by Government Aircraft Factories (GAF), the Australian manufacturer of the ill-fated aircraft.

The report, released today, found that Sabah Air was essentially operating illegally during the crash on June 6, 1976.

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Why flight control ‘failures’ in Double Six crash not probed, asks victim’s son

PETALING JAYA: The son of one of the victims in the fatal 1976 plane crash in Sabah has asked why the authorities did not look into the “failures in the flying control systems” as revealed by a newly-declassified report by the aircraft’s Australian manufacturer.

Donald Peter Mojuntin was referring to a report by the Government Aircraft Factories (GAF) of Australia released on Wednesday, which revealed that “failures were found in the flying control systems during wreckage examination, loading calculations, and operational and handling considerations”.

“What does this mean and what caused these ‘failures’? Why was this not mentioned in the Malaysian investigation report?

“Was this important fact not investigated further by the Malaysian authorities?” he told FMT.

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He said none of the contents have anything of public interest aside from the pilot’s alleged inexperience or negligence, which he said are not grounds to place the report under the Official Secrets Act (OSA).