NEWSFLASH: RMAF HAWK 100

nWo SG

Source: Bernama

December 18, 2003 16:03 PM

RMAF Jetfighter Crashes, Killing Two Pilots

KUANTAN, Dec 18 (Bernama) -- Two Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) pilots were killed when their Hawk 100 jetfighter crashed in waters off Kampung Sepat, Kuantan Thursday.

According to sources, the jetfighter from the Kem Batu 10 RMAF Base here, was believed to have crashed at 12.30pm.

The sources said one of the pilots died at the scene of the incident while the other died after being taken to Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Kuantan.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Head of Public Relations Branch, Administration and Public Relations Division of the Ministry of Defence, Lt Kol Fadzlette Othman Merican, when contacted by Bernama, declined to comment further on the crash. However, she said the ministry would issue a press statement on the incident.

She said RMAF Chief General Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad would also visit the site of the crash.

-- BERNAMA

nWo SG

Source: Bernama

December 18, 2003 19:20 PM

All Training Flights Using Hawk Jetfighters Suspended

KUANTAN, Dec 18 (Bernama) -- All training flights by the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) using the Hawk 108 jetfighters have been suspended with immediate effect until the cause of the air crash in Pahang waters off Kampung Sepat Thursday has been determined.

RMAF Chief General Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad said a board of inquiry had been set up to investigate the crash which occurred about one nautical mile from Kampung Sepat.

He said this to reporters when visiting the remains of the two pilots who were both captains. However, he declined to disclose their names until their relatives had been informed.

"The aircraft was on a training flight at 11.30am with two pilots, in their 30's, with the rank of captain. The last communication received from them was at 12.08pm before we lost contact (with the aircraft)," he said.

He said the jetfighter was supposed to return to base at 12.30pm.

He said the armed forces later received a call from the public informing that a jetfighter had crashed in the sea.

"Both victims were retrieved by fishermen and taken to the Kuantan Marine Police jetty. One of the victims was confirmed dead at the scene of the incident, while the other died at Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Kuantan at 2.45pm," he said.

Both pilots were from the No.6, Air Force Squadron, Kuantan, he said.

He said the aircraft had sunk and work to salvage the wreckage was expected to start Friday.

It is learnt that one of the pilots was married while the other was a bachelor.

Bernama also learnt that one of the two pilots was from Kelantan while the other was from Melaka.

Meanwhile, an employee of the Kuantan Municipal Council, Saadon Mohd Sha, 37, who was catching fish in the area said he saw an aircraft going into a nosedive before crashing, just about 400 metres from the spot where he was catching fish.

"I rushed to the spot immediately in my boat. Later I saw the two pilots floating before a trawler boat came by.

"We carried both the victims and took them to the Kuantan Marine Police jetty," he said.

-- BERNAMA

nWo SG

Source: Bernama

December 18, 2003 22:24 PM

Jet Crash: Pilot's Body To Arrive In Kelantan Tonight

KOTA BAHARU, Dec 18 (Bernama) -- The body of Kapten Ashraf Che Husin, 30, who was killed when his Hawk 108 crashed in Kuantan Thursday, is expected to arrive at the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport in Pengkalan Chepa here Thursday night.

A Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) team was also spotted making preparations for the arrival of the body while a Gong Kedak RMAF hearse has also been put on standby since 8pm to take the body to his father's village in Kampung Tong, Jalan Kubang Bemban, Pasir Mas, some 30Km from here.

Ashraf, attached to the 6th Squadron of the Kuantan RMAF, was killed when the Hawk, on a training flight, crashed in waters one nautical mile off Kampong Sepat, Kuantan at 12.30pm.

Meanwhile, Ashraf's cousin Ahmad Sobri Mohd Zain said the deceased's father, Sarjan Che Husin Che Kob, attached to the Alor Star District Police Headquarters, and his mother, Aishah Ismail, had gone to Kuantan to claim the body.

Ashraf leaves a wife and two children, a four-year-old boy and a year-old girl.

-- BERNAMA

nWo SG

Source: The Star Online

Thursday, December 18, 2003

RMAF aircraft crashes into sea on routine training flight

Update from The Star News Desk
BY ZULKIFLI ABD RAHMAN

KUANTAN: An RMAF Hawk aircraft, with a pilot and co-pilot inside, crashed into the sea, about one nautical mile off Pantai Sepat near Kuantan Thursday.

One of them died on arrival at the Tuanku Ampuan Afzan Hospital here after being rescued by fishermen.

The name of the deceased and the other who suffered serious injuries and warded in the hospital have been withheld until their relatives were notified.

The incident occurred at about 12.30pm when they were on a routine training flight from the Kuantan Air Base.

After crashing, they were rescued by fishermen and taken to the Kuantan marine police base here, before being transferred to the hospital here.

It is not known if the pilot and the co-pilot had managed to eject out of the aircraft and what caused it to crash.

nWo SG

Source: Xinhuanet

Malaysian Air Force fighter down into sea

www.chinaview.cn 2003-12-18 16:43:14

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Two Royal Malaysian Air Force(RMAF) pilots were killed when their Hawk 100 jet fighter crashed in waters off Kuantan, central Malaysia, on Thursday.

According to sources, the jet fighter from the Kem Batu 10 RMAFBase in Kuantan was believed to have crashed at 12:30 p.m.

The sources said one of the pilots died at the scene of the incident while the other died after being taken to Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Kuantan.

Meanwhile, the deputy head of Public Relations Branch, Administration and Public Relations Division of the Ministry of Defense, Lt Kol Fadzlette Othman Merican, declined further commenton the crash. However, she said the ministry would issue a press statement on the incident.

She said RMAF Chief General Abdullah Ahmad would also visit thesite of the crash.

It is the third crash of Malaysian military planes this year. Enditem

nWo SG

Source: Straits Times Interactive

Updated Dec 18, 6.18 pm (Singapore time)

Malaysian air force plane crash kills 2

KUALA LUMPUR -- A Malaysian air force jet crashed in the South China Sea on Thursday, killing the two pilots on board, the air force said.

The British-made Hawk 100, a training plane, crashed into the sea not far from the Royal Malaysian Air Force's base outside the northeastern town of Kuantan, a spokesman said on customary condition of anonymity.

An investigation has been launched, he said.

In August, a Pilatus PC7 air force training plane crashed near the north-western town of Alor Setar, killing the pilot and narrowly missing bystanders on the ground.

An investigation was launched into the cause of the crash, but the results have not been publicly released.

British Areospace's Hawk 100 is an advanced two-seater jet used for navigation and weapons systems training. -- AP

84mmrr SG

Isn't Hawk considered one of the best trainer jet? Maintenance problems?

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/row/hawk.htm

|-|05| SG

Hmm…no mayday call…..meaning either radio was out or something really really bad happened

alwaysdisturbed SG

suicide attempt?

Viper52 SG

Always sad to hear when a loss of life happens, even more so when 2 are involved. My condolences to the families of both pilots.