Collision With Heron On Runway Led To RMAF F/A-18D Hornet Fighter Jet Crash

KUANTAN, Sept 18 (Bernama) -- The crash involving a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) F/A-18D Hornet fighter jet at the Kuantan Air Base on Aug 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.

Met at the Kuantan Air Base today, he 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.

Muhamad Norazlan added that the crash occurred when the F/A-18D Hornet aircraft 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.

He said 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, he said the pilot, Major Mohamad Azhar Alang Kamarudin, 34, and the weapon systems officer, Captain Mohamad Izzuddin Mohamad Salleh, 28, are currently in recovery and are expected to return to duty on Oct 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," he said.

On Aug 21, the two RMAF personnel were involved in the F/A-18D Hornet fighter jet carsh at Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Airport here.

-- BERNAMA