Pilot killed, passenger hurt in Melaka air crash
KUALA LUMPUR: A pilot was killed and his friend seriously injured when an aircraft crashed into Sungai Rambai in Melaka yesterday.
The pilot was identified as Yen Yoon Fah, 54, while the injured passenger was Shahrul Safiri, 35.
In the 11.38am incident, the Quicksilver GT500 plane was said to have experienced complications in mid-flight and was returning to the Sungai Rambai Aerodrome when the engine failed.
Merlimau Fire and Rescue Department chief operations officer Dzulkarnain Abd Halim said the light aircraft was at the aerodrome for the past two months, undergoing flight examinations to obtain a flying permit from the Civil Aviation Department (DCA).
“Eight firemen were despatched to the scene after we received a distress call. Upon arrival, they found Shahrul lying by the riverbank while the deceased was trapped inside the plane.”
Melaka Fire and Rescue Department deputy director Kamarulzaman Mohd Zin, who was at the scene, said the department was waiting for DCA representatives to conduct checks on the crashed aircraft.
“We were told that the aircraft had experienced complications. They (the pilot and passenger) made a U-turn to return to base, but their plane crashed when the engine failed.”
Kamarulzaman said Shahrul was undergoing treatment at Muar Hospital while Yen’s body was sent to Tangkak Hospital for a postmortem.