“Where is the plane’s black box?” asked Jeffrey on Double Six tragedy’s 47th anniversary

“Where is the plane’s black box?” asked Jeffrey on Double Six tragedy’s 47th anniversary





THE discovery of the aircraft’s missing black box in the Double Six tragedy could provide insight into what had truly happened, said Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan.

Marking the 47th anniversary of the fatal crash, the Sabah Deputy Chief Minister said these questions on what had actually caused the Australian Nomad 9M-ATZ plane to go down would continue to be a mystery so long as many questions remained unanswered.

The declassified reports by Malaysian and Australian investigators, he said, had not given any definitive answers to the victims’ families and Sabahans in general.

But unfortunately, he said, there was no black box on the plane, which was usually a requirement for all aircraft.

“What happened to the black box? Where is it?” asked Kitingan who is also state Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Minister after joining the families in commemorating the incident at the crash site in Sembulan today (June 6).

“And although the investigation reports have been made public, many questions remain such as why, if there was no foul play, it took so long to release the reports, why keep it secret?

“That’s why it’s no surprise that people are still waiting for the answers, so don’t blame them for raising questions that remain unresolved.”

The Tambunan assemblyman said the delay in disclosing the reports also raised doubts about why it was classified under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) in the first place.

“Because of that, the people of Sabah are still doubtful and waiting for the answers. I hope that one day this whole thing will be resolved. I don’t believe that the black box cannot be found, especially considering the accident occurred nearby (in Sembulan),” he remarked.

“I think it is not very difficult to locate the black box. It should have been inside the plane at that time, so who took the black box?”

According to Kitingan, if the victims’ families want to look into the matter further, the state government will assist them.

“I think it’s entirely up to the family. The government will support what the family wants as long as it is the right thing to do.

“As we mark 47 years since the accident, on behalf of the state government, I extend my heartfelt sympathy to the families of the victims. May their souls rest in peace,” he said.

The plane crash on June 6, 1976, killed 11 passengers, including the then Sabah chief minister Tun Fuad Stephens. – June 6, 2023