HELICOPTER rescue pilot Cameron Dalziel, who was travelling aboard the Malaysia Airlines flight on a British passport, had recently moved to Malaysia from South Africa.

The 43-year-old was born in Durban, South African, but had started a new job in the Asian country transporting personnel between oil rigs.

Mr Dalziel, who leaves his wife Reine and sons Sheldon, 14, and four-year-old Cruz, had previously worked as a rescue pilot in KwaZulu-Natal, a province of South Africa.

His brother-in-law, Shane Hattingh, said his sister Reine was so traumatised she has not been able to answer phone calls from anxious relatives.

He said: "She is basically alone there other than with new friends. So she couldn't even talk to me. Apparently three people from the company were with her. The kids are going to be absolutely shattered."

Mr Dalziel had been sent for training in the Netherlands and was returning on yesterday's Malaysia Airlines flight when it went down.

Mr Dalziel describes himself as a "manager of day-to-day offshore support to the Shell and Petronas, transporting rig crew and personnel out to the rigs as well as 24-hour emergency operations".

A spokesman for CHC Helicopters said: "We are aware that a CHC colleague from one of our bases in Asia may have been on the Malaysia Airlines flight and are awaiting confirmation from the airline."