KUANTAN: The two Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) officers who ejected from the crashed F/A-18D Hornet fighter jet have been discharged from hospital.
RMAF Chief Jen Datuk Seri Muhamad Norazlan Aris said the pilot, Mej Mohamad Azhar Alang Kamarudin, 34, sustained back injuries and suffered minor burns to his left heel, while the co-pilot, weapons systems officer Kapt Mohamad Izzuddin Mohamad Salleh, 28, escaped with bruises to several parts of his body.
“Both officers were initially treated at Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan and discharged at 2am.
“They are now recuperating at the Armed Forces Hospital.
“I visited the crash site this morning to receive a full briefing on the incident and to extend moral support to both officers,” he told a press conference at the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Airport (Kuantan Air Base) here yesterday.
Commenting on viral video footage speculating on the causes of the crash, Jen Muhamad Norazlan said RMAF investigators will examine all angles, including possible bird strikes, foreign object debris, and engine failure.
“The aircraft is equipped with a data collector system similar to a black box. We will analyse the data to determine what led to the crash.
“Until the cause is established, all F/A-18D Hornet flights have been temporarily suspended,” he added, Bernama reported.
Jen Muhamad Norazlan said the RMAF has formed an official board of inquiry to investigate the cause of the accident.
“The investigation team begins work today and will provide a preliminary report as soon as possible. Typically, such reports are completed within 14 days,” he said.
He said the crash occurred during a routine night flying training exercise.
The airport has since been temporarily closed to facilitate a comprehensive clean-up operation dubbed “Mega Sweep”.
“This morning, we deployed personnel to comb every inch of the runway. Foreign objects and debris are being collected to ensure the area is fully cleared,” he said.
The fighter jet involved was from No. 18 Squadron, normally based at Butterworth Air Base, but had been temporarily deployed to Kuantan while Butterworth’s runway undergoes upgrading works.
The RMAF F/A-18D Hornet fighter jet was reported to have crashed on the runway of the air base at 9.05pm on Thursday.
