KUALA LUMPUR: Some general aviation aircrafts are not mandated to install any flight data recorders (FDR) and cockpit voice recorders (CVR) based on certain requirements.
Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) chief executive officer Datuk Captain Norazman Mahmud said such requirements would only be needed on large aircrafts and are based on risk assessments conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
"These black boxes (FDRs and CVRs) are not mandated to aircraft of certain weights and are based on the international standards.
"This is because small aircraft don't have complicated systems and when they crash, they are usually intact.
"Investigators can easily pinpoint the causes. This is in comparison to large aircrafts as their systems are more complicated and when such incidents happen, there will be catastrophic damage."
However, when asked on whether the Gabriel BK160TR aircraft that crashed in Kampung Tok Muda, Kapar, Klang had any of the black boxes, Norazman said the Air Accidents Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will confirm the matter.
On Feb 13, Gabriel BK-160TR bearing the registration I-POOC crashed in Kampung Tok Muda, Kapar, Klang.
The crash killed two onboard, namely, Daniel Yee Hsiang Khoon, 30 and Roshaan Singh Rania, 42.
Operated by Air Adventure Flying Club, it departed from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang, Selangor at 1.28pm for a recreational flight.