KUALA LUMPUR – A small aircraft crashed at Elmina in Shah Alam this afternoon, with rising plumes of smoke seen in footage posted online by social media users.
Eight people were on the private charter from Langkawi, which was nearing its destination at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang. None of the people onboard survived.
Two others on the ground had also perished in the tragedy, Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said, in confirming a total of ten fatalities.
Earlier, one user, who was driving nearby, reported that all roads to Elmina West have been closed.
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— TheVibes.com (@thevibesnews) August 17, 2023
A small aircraft crashed to the ground at Elmina in Shah Alam this afternoon.
An unconfirmed number of people were on the flight from Langkawi which reportedly was nearing its destination at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang.
MORE TO FOLLOW pic.twitter.com/ZhFjQXNcq2
The road’s surface and its surroundings were visibly smudged black by the impact and the fire.
The aircraft’s mangled debris was still burning heavily at mid-afternoon. An area of trees and grass lining the road was also razed by the impact’s inferno.
It appears that the plane had hit the road before skidding violently off onto the slightly forested area.
A still burning body of a visibly charred human could be seen lying motionless on the road, with people at the site overheard saying that the victim was a motorcyclist.
A scorched bike could also be seen near the body.
Shah Alam district police chief Mohd Iqbal Ibrahim confirmed the plane crash at the site, and a police team had been sent to the location, Bernama reported.
Situasi di berhampiran kawasan pesawat terhempas di bandar Elmina, Shah Alam petang ini.
— BERNAMA (@bernamadotcom) August 17, 2023
?Mohd Asri Saifuddin Mamat | BERNAMA pic.twitter.com/1wwPyBiHlB
No mayday call
In a statement, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) confirmed that the aircraft model is a Beechcraft Model 390, also known as Premier 1.
The light business jet aircraft, flown by one or two pilots, is known to have about seven seats for passengers.
The plane, which CAAM had identified as having the registration number N28JV, was operated by a private Malaysian charter company, Jetvalet Sdn Bhd, said the authority.
The vessel departed from Langkawi International Airport at 2.08pm and was headed to the Sultan Abdul Aziz Airport in Subang.
“The first contact made by the aircraft with the Subang Air Traffic Control Tower was at 2.47pm, and landing clearance was given at 2.48pm,” according to CAAM chief executive officer Datuk Norazman Mahmud.
At 2.51pm, the control tower observed smoke originating from the crash site but no mayday call was made by the aircraft, he said.
“The Kuala Lumpur Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre has been activated to coordinate the search-and-rescue mission,” he added.
“The safety investigation will be conducted by the Air Accident Investigation Bureau under the Transport Ministry, in accordance with Part XXVI of the Civil Aviation Regulations 2016,” he added. – The Vibes, August 17, 2023