Ten people were killed last month when a Malaysian Charter Jet crashed before the scheduled landing, killing 6 passengers, 2 pilots, and 2 people on the ground. The cause of the crash remains unknown, however, ATC controllers state that communication with the jet ceased after giving landing clearance.
The jet, a Beechcraft 390 Premier, was scheduled to fly from Langkawi International Airport and was flying to Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport near the nation’s capital. The flight went as normal until two minutes from landing, communication with the plane ceased, due to an unknown reason. Other pilots and people on the ground reported seeing a large cloud of smoke originating from a highway near the airport.
The four passengers onboard were flying with a Malaysian Charter Service and were businessmen. The pilots, Shahrul Kamal Roslan and Heikal Aras Abdul Azim, “[pilots] held valid medical certificates from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia.” According to early crash reports.
The plane made contact with a freeway near Kuala Lumpur, the country’s capital and largest city, hitting a moving motorcycle and a car. Only one body from the crash was recovered intact: the motorcyclist Muhamad Hafiz Muhamad Salleh. The person who died in the car was e-hailing driver Sharipuddin Shaari.
The crash is still under investigation, and a cause has not been identified. Investigators have yet to release any cockpit voice recordings or any leads they might have, and no current threat has been identified to any other aircraft.