Salam, news kat bawah ne me petik bulat2 dari laman web Brudirect yang juga news dari Borneo Bulletin.
Tuesday – 28 February 2012.
Temburong - A Bell 212 helicopter of the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) crashed yesterday deep in the remote jungles of Temburong with just one out of its occupants sustaining a minor injury. Dato Paduka Awg Hj Mustappa bin Hj Sirat, Deputy Minister of Defence, on an official visit to Australia, confirmed that "a Bell 212 was involved" in the crash, in which only one crewmember sustained minor injury.
The senior defence official added that "the extent of the damage is yet to be determined and the matter is being investigated to determine the cause".
According to some informed sources, the helicopter was believed to have been carrying RBAF personnel during the crash that happened deep in the interior jungles of Kg Belalong, within the vicinity of a radio transmitter that is two days away by foot.
Hj Bahrun Hj Talib, Penghulu of Mukim Amo further acknowledged that only one person from the crash was airlifted to RIPAS Hospital in the capital by one of the RBAirF's Blackhawk helicopters, which he happened to see fly overhead yesterday following the incident, and that the rest of the passengers and crew were in Bangar Town unscathed.
The venerable Bell 212 Twin Huey first flew in 1968 that was made iconic during the Vietnam War. The RBAirF's first Bell 212 has been operating since September 1973, when that maiden flight from Singapore to Brunei held the record, at the time, for the longest distance and fastest time taken for the type of aircraft.
Trusted and adored by its adherents, in the words of many RBAirF pilots, the Bell 212 is a 'forgiving' aircraft. Operated exclusively by the RBAirF's No 1 Squadron, the fleet of Bell 212's has faithfully logged 39 years of flying service for the Royal Brunei Armed Forces.
In November last year, the Ministry of Defence announced its decision to replace the RBAF's ageing Bell 212 workhorse with 12 new Sikorsky S70i Blackhawk helicopters, with the first delivery expected over a two-year period, starting from next year.
--Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin