Private jet crashes into motorbike and car in Malaysia, kills 10

A general view of a plane crash scene in Shah Alam, Malaysia August 17, 2023. (REUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain)

KUALA LUMPUR  – A small private jet crashed into a motorbike and a car while attempting to land at an airport in the outskirts of Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, leaving at least 10 people dead, officials said on Thursday.

A Beechcraft Model 390 (Premier 1) aircraft, a light private business jet, was carrying six passengers and two crew when it crashed near Elmina township at 2.08 p.m. (0608 GMT), just before it was due to land, Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan told reporters.

The aircraft lost contact with the air traffic control tower and crashed into a motorbike and a car on the highway, he said.

“There was no emergency call, the aircraft had been given clearance to land,” Hussein Omar said.

A search and rescue mission is underway.

The country’s civil aviation authority (CAAM) said the flight had departed from the holiday island of Langkawi and was en route to Selangor’s Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport near capital city Kuala Lumpur.

CAAM chief executive Norazman Mahmud said the aircraft made first contact with Subang Air Traffic Control Tower at 2.47 p.m. and landing clearance was given at 2.48 p.m.

“At 2.51 p.m., the Subang Air Traffic Control Tower observed smoke originating from the crash site but no mayday call was made by the aircraft,” he said in a statement.

The CAAM said the flight was operated by Jet Valet Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian private jet services company.

Jet Valet did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Reuters, but local media cited the company as saying it will cooperate with authorities on the investigation.

gsg