At Least 10 Killed as Light Plane Crashes in Malaysia
Selangor – Ten people were killed following the crash of a light aircraft in Malaysia’s Selangor state on Thursday afternoon, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said.
Speaking at a press conference following the incident, Loke said there were no survivors among the aircraft’s six passengers and two crew, with another two being killed on the ground where the aircraft crashed.
Meanwhile, Shah Alam district police chief Mohammad Iqbal Ibrahim said that "For now, I can say at least 10 people were killed in the plane crash. Two passing motorists - one in a car and one on a motorcycle - also perished together with the eight on board the plane,"
The private jet, carrying six passengers and two crew members, was travelling from the resort island of Langkawi to Subang airport in Selangor when it crashed at about 2.10 pm, just before it was due to land.
The aircraft lost contact with the air traffic control tower and crashed into a motorbike and a car on the highway, Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan remarked.
"There was no emergency call, the aircraft had been given clearance to land," he added.
Photos and videos on social media platforms show a burnt section of the highway, with smoke rising from a fire. The aircraft reportedly plummeted to the ground and exploded upon impact.
Malaysia's civil aviation authority (CAAM) said the aircraft made first contact with Subang Air Traffic Control Tower at 2.47 pm and landing clearance was given at 2.48 pm.
"At 2.51 pm, the Subang Air Traffic Control Tower observed smoke originating from the crash site but no mayday call was made by the aircraft," CAAM chief executive Norazman Mahmud said in a statement.
CAAM said the flight was operated by Jet Valet, a Malaysian private jet services company.