Why Was the Helicopter Found but the Bodies of the Two Flight Experts Could Not Be Retrieved?
Pursat: Climate change has posed a significant obstacle in the operation to retrieve the bodies of missing flight experts, Kheng Chhay Yuth and Sun Phalla. General Ith Sarath confirmed this during a press conference from Thmor Da commune, Veal Veng district, Pursat province, where the helicopter and its pilots went missing.
"Both bodies have been found, and I have ordered the plane to retrieve them immediately," General Sarath stated. "However, the answer is currently no due to rain and dense clouds. The visibility is so poor that we cannot proceed." He explained that transporting the bodies from the crash site to the landing zone, a distance of 1.5 km, is currently impossible because the sky is obscured. The task force has marked the route and prepared the necessary equipment, but the helicopter crashed on a hillside, adding to the complexity of the retrieval.
General Sarath requested understanding from the public regarding the delay in recovering the bodies. He emphasized that if there is a brief window of clear weather, the bodies could be transported within 20 minutes. "If the weather remains poor with low clouds, visibility will be a significant issue, potentially causing further delays," he said. He asked the families of the deceased for patience and apologized for the unavoidable delay.
He further explained that had the weather been favorable since the day of the crash, the search efforts would have been significantly quicker. "Continuous rain and poor visibility have severely hampered our operations," he noted.
General Sarath also highlighted that the Ministry of Resources and local residents have witnessed the challenging weather conditions impacting the search operation. He asserted that with favorable weather, the search for the missing helicopter and its crew could have been completed in just two or three days.
He added that flight experts Kheng Chhay Yuth and Sun Phalla were on a long-term training mission, flying from Phnom Penh to Thmor Da, then to Pursat, and back to Phnom Penh. Their mission was officially sanctioned, and their work was part of their roles within the defense forces. "This mission was authorized, and the pilots were not operating without command or permission," General Sarath emphasized.
