As many as 10 people are feared dead after a private jet crashed onto a Malaysian highway.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority Malaysia (CAAM) at the time of the crash there were eight passengers and two crew on board the Beechcraft 390 Premier 1.
The private jet left Langkawi International Airport (LGK) on the paradise island of Langkawi at 2:08 pm local time on August 17, 2023, and was due to land at Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (SZB).
The chief executive of the CAAM, Norazman Mahmud, said in a statement that at 2:48 pm the aircraft was given landing permission but at 2:51 pm, Suban Air Traffic Control tower observed smoke rising from the crash site. No mayday call was made by the aircraft.
The aircraft, registered N28JV, crashed onto a highway near Elmina, Shah Alam, Selangor, and exploded on impact in a devastating scene.
It is understood that as well as the eight people on board the aircraft, two people traveling on the highway were also killed.
The two people on the ground are believed to be the driver of a car and a motorcyclist, both of which were struck by the aircraft.
“We believe that all those involved in the incident are dead. There were eight on board and two on the ground, at minimum (10 of them). The Fire and Rescue Department managed to put out the fire in 10 minutes,” Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, said.
Pictures of the crash site shared on social media show the impact of the crash with the aircraft barely recognizable such was the destruction.
Malaysia’s monarch, Abdullah of Pahang, was seen arriving at the crash site, while one of the victims on board is understood to be a prominent Malaysian politician.
The plane was operated by Jetvalet Sdn Bhd, a private jet carrier based in Kuala Lumpur.
The incident will be investigated by the Air Accident Investigation Burean under the Ministry of Transport Malysia.