A Private jet crashed into a car and motorbike on a Malaysian highway, killing at least 10 people, officials said on Thursday.
The incident resulted in the death of all eight aircraft members. Additionally, two motorists on the ground also lost their lives.
A compact private business jet, a Beechcraft Model 390 (Premier 1), crashed close to Elmina Township at 2:08 p.m. (0608 GMT). The incident occurred just moments before the aircraft was scheduled to land. According to Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan, six passengers and two crew members were on board the aircraft at the time of the crash.
Hussein Omar said the aircraft lost contact with the air traffic control tower and crashed into a motorbike and a car on the highway.
“There was no emergency call; the aircraft had been given clearance to land,” he said.
A search and rescue mission is underway, Reuters reported.
The country’s civil aviation authority (CAAM) said that the flight had taken off from Langkawi, a famous holiday island. It was on its way to Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Selangor, located near the capital city of Kuala Lumpur.
CAAM’s Chief Executive, Norazman Mahmud, reported that the aircraft established initial contact with the Subang Air Traffic Control Tower at 2.47 p.m. Subsequently, landing clearance was granted merely a minute later, 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.
The CAAM reported that Jet Valet Sdn Bhd conducted the flight, a Malaysian company specializing in private jet services.
Jet Valet did not provide an immediate response to a request for comment by Reuters. However, local media sources reported that the company intended to collaborate fully with authorities during the investigation.
