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CHERAS: Mohd Irfan Fikri Mohd Rawi would send a text message to his WhatsApp family group informing them of his flight plans.
Dr. Mohd Izani is used to seeing his brother’s messages, but he didn’t expect yesterday’s to be the last.
Irfan, 44, was killed in a helicopter crash in Taman Melawati after a mid-air collision with another helicopter in the area.
Another man who was with him on the plane also died. He was identified as Mohamed Sabri Baharom, 56.
Izani, 48, said she received the devastating news via the same messaging platform around noon.
“At the time we didn’t know if he was alive or dead,” he said when he was met at Canselor Tuanku Muhriz Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital here.
Irfan, a businessman, left behind a wife and five children.
Izani talked about how her brother loved to fly.
“It had always been his passion since he was a child. No one else in the family had the same level of interest in aviation as him.
“Irfan had invited me to fly with him, but I declined because I am afraid of flying,” he said.
He said his brother was licensed to fly, but wasn’t sure how long he had trained as a helicopter pilot.
Izani, who is the oldest in the family of 10, described her brother as a good person and had no problems with anyone.
He said the rest of his siblings were at home caring for their elderly parents and children.
In yesterday’s incident, Irfan and Mohamed Sabri were in their helicopter when it collided with another helicopter carrying former Malaysia Airlines Bhd group CEO Datuk Ahmad Jauhari Yahya and Tan Chai Eian.
Both helicopters, which are from a flying club, are believed to have departed from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang at 11.11 am.
The first helicopter crashed into the ground in Taman Melawati, while the second, with Ahmad Jauhari and Tan inside, crashed near a school in the area at 11:33 am, a 22-minute flight. They both survived the accident.
The collision occurred at an altitude of 396 m (1,300 ft).
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