Ten killed in light plane crash near Malaysian capital

KUALA LUMPUR: A light plane crashed into a four-lane road near Malaysia’s capital on Thursday, killing eight people on board and two motorists on the ground, the local police chief said.

The plane exploded into a fireball on impact, with thick black smoke seen rising from the site, video clips from the scene showed.

“For now, I can say at least 10 people were killed in the plane crash. Two passing motorists — one in a car and one on a motorcycle — also perished together with the eight on board the plane,” Moha­mad Iqbal Ibrahim said.

Johari Harun, a state assemblyman in central Pah­ang state in charge of housing and the environment, was among the plane passengers killed, police said.

Malaysia’s civil aviation authority said in a statement that six passengers and two flight crew were on board the Beechcraft Model 390 aircraft when it crashed.

The plane took off from the northern resort island of Langkawi and was approaching Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, in Selangor state west of the capital Kuala Lumpur, civil aviation authority chief Norazman Mahmud.

“No mayday call was made,” he said.

An investigation into the crash will be made by the Air Accident Investi­gation Bureau, he said.

Mohamad Syahmie Moh­a­mad Hashim, a former member of the Malaysian air force, said he saw the plane flying erratically.

“Not long after that I heard a loud boom,” he told reporters.

“I sped towards the location and saw the remains of an aircraft. I also saw (a) human body on fire. I couldn’t do anything,” he said.

Transport Minister Antho­ny Loke said the plane had been cleared to land but “veered to the right of the landing flight path” before it crashed.