They said the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) may have failed to invoke the Chicago Convention for SAR which defines three emergency phases, which are referred to as the Uncertainty Phase, the Alert Phase and the Distress Phase.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has endorsed this protocol for SAR with most countries having signed it, including Malaysia.

According to the convention, the phases are defined as:

• Uncertainty Phase (Incerfa): a situation wherein uncertainty exists as to the safety of an aircraft and its occupants;
• Alert Phase (Alerfa): a situation wherein apprehension exists as to the safety of an aircraft and its occupants; and
• Distress Phase (Detresfa): a situation where there is a reasonable certainty that an aircraft and its occupants are threatened by grave and imminent danger and require immediate assistance.

One former Royal Malaysian Air Force (TUDM) pilot who has flown for nearly 40 years said that generally, these three phases are put into action within 30 minutes after an aircraft goes missing from the radar.

He said that according to reports, the helicopter piloted by Hong Kong national Richard Chan went off the Kuala Lumpur Air Traffic Radar at 12.16pm with Perak police chief Yusri Hassan Basri going on record to say the first helicopter was dispatched to the last location at 4pm.

“Under the Alert Phase, the first SAR aircraft should have been on air within an hour after it was reported missing by radar. I think the CAAM owes an explanation here,” he told FMT on condition of anonymity.

Rescue personnel found the helicopter and the dead pilot at about 9.30am on Monday in the Chikus forest reserve. Police said it was found on the ground and the pilot was stuck inside the cockpit.

Another experienced pilot, who has been in the RMAF SAR teams, said four hours to launch the first rescue flight after an aircraft goes missing from the radar is something that he has not seen in the past.

He said there is a possibility that the pilot’s life could have been saved if SAR teams were sent within an hour after it was reported missing from the radar.

“Some of us are raising this issue as there are many helicopters flying around the country. Deciding on the speed of SAR operations is vital to save lives in a crash,” he said.