KUANTAN, Sept 18 — The crash involving a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) F/A-18D Hornet fighter jet at the Kuantan Air Base on August 21 was due to a collision with a large bird on the runway.
RMAF Chief General Datuk Seri Muhamad Norazlan Aris said that an RMAF Board of Inquiry probe found that the crash with a heron on the runway had caused the failure of the aircraft's left engine.
"The conclusion was based on CCTV analysis, data from the Deployable Flight Incident Recorder System with assistance from the United States Navy, technical data, as well as analysis obtained from the Defence Science and Technology Research Institute, the Department of Chemistry, the Royal Malaysia Police, and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks," he said.
Speaking to the press at the Kuantan Air Base today, Norazlan said that F/A-18D Hornet operations would proceed as usual, as the aircraft had completed flight training to evaluate their current status.
"I am confident that there are no (aircraft-related) issues that could lead to technical problems. It was more of an unavoidable incident, as a relatively large bird caused the aircraft to be unable to take off that night," he said.
Norazlan added that the crash occurred when the F/A-18D Hornet was taking off at a speed of 146 knots and at an altitude of nearly 10 metres, before the two crew members ejected approximately 50 metres from the plane.
The airbase authorities also ensured that the runway was safe to use after conducting bird dispersal operations.
"Perhaps a bird happened to be on the runway at the wrong time and location, which led to the collision," he said.
Meanwhile, the jet’s pilot Major Mohamad Azhar Alang Kamarudin, 34, and weapon systems officer Captain Mohamad Izzuddin Mohamad Salleh, 28, are currently in recovery and are expected to return to duty on October 2.
"They are still resting and attending periodic medical check-ups. If their condition permits, they will begin training using the simulator before resuming normal flight operations," Norazlan said.
On August 21, the two RMAF personnel were involved in the F/A-18D Hornet fighter jet crash at Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Airport.
