KUALA LUMPUR: A pilot was killed and his friend seriously injured when a light aircraft crashed into Sungai Rambai in Melaka, today.
The pilot was identified as Yen Yoon Fah, 54, while the injured passenger, Shahrul Safiri, 35.
In the 11.38am incident, the Quicksilver GT500 plane was said to have experienced a complication while in mid-flight and was returning to the Sungai Rambai Aerodrome when the engine failed and crashed into the river.
Merlimau Fire and Rescue Department chief operations officer Dzulkarnain Abd Halim said the light aircraft has been placed at the aerodrome for the past two months, undergoing flight examinations to obtain a flying permit from the Civil Aviation Department (DCA).
“Eight firemen were dispatched immediately to the scene after we received a distress call.
“Upon arrival, the team found the passenger at the riverbank while the deceased was trapped inside the plane,” he said.
Meanwhile, Melaka Fire and Rescue Department deputy director Kamarulzaman Mohd Zin, who was at the scene, said they were waiting for DCA representatives to conduct checks on the crashed aircraft.
“We were told that the plane had experienced some complication. They (the pilot and passenger) made a U-turn to return to base but the plane crashed when the engine failed.” he said.
He added that Shahrul was undergoing treatment at Muar Hospital while Yen had been sent to Tangkak Hospital for postmortem.