THE tragic plane crash that killed Sabah chief minister Fuad Stephens and other state leaders in 1976 should not be solely blamed on pilot error, the pilot’s son Nizam Gandhi said.

Nizam, also a pilot, said the airline company must be held responsible for the crash, which killed his father Captain Gandhi J. Nathan.

“Maybe the report is correct, but the airline company has the bigger responsibility of making sure the loading of the aircraft was in accordance with the guidelines,” he was quoted as saying in a Star Online report.

“The pilot cannot be held solely responsible because the company has to prepare the load sheet before taking off,” he said.

He also wanted more time to look at the crash report – declassified by the government yesterday – before commenting further.

The final investigation report on the flight crash, dubbed “Double Six”, signed by then accidents chief inspector and Civil Aviation Department flight operations director Omar Saman, concluded the probable cause of the crash was a centre of gravity (CG) position well outside the aft limit.

The aft CG limit is the rearwardmost position at which the CG can be located for the most critical manoeuvre or operation. As the CG moves aft, the craft becomes less stable, decreasing its ability to right itself after manoeuvring or turbulence.

The report said this caused the control column to run out of forward range as the nose pitched up when the flaps were lowered through 25 degrees on the final approach to land.

“The pilot lost control of the aircraft when he ran out of forward control column range as the flaps were lowered through 25 degrees on the approach to land due to the centre of gravity position, which was well aft of the approved rear limit,” the report said.

There was no evidence of sabotage, fire or explosion, the report said.

It also said there were indications that the loading in the plane was not properly balanced, and that could have contributed to the possible nosedive of the aircraft into the waters off Sembulan just before it made its approach to the Kota Kinabalu Airport on June 6, 1976.

The investigations also blamed pilot error.

“Pathological tests on the pilot proved he was reasonably fit at the time and was not suffering from the effects of alcohol or drugs, though there was other evidence to suggest he was tired and had a mild stomach disorder,” the report read.

The report also said Gandhi had been flying for 11 hours and seven minutes, which was against the 10-hour regulation then.

There were suggestions by a witness that Gandhi was tired, but they are inconclusive as it could not be determined how much sleep he had had that night.

The report was previously held under the Official Secrets Act 1972 for 47 years. – April 13, 2023.