Kuantan, Malaysia – A Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) F/A-18D Hornetfighter jet crashed in a fiery accident during takeoff at Sultan Ahmad ShahAirport in Kuantan, Pahang, earlier today. The incident occurred atapproximately 9:05 p.m. local time, when the aircraft reportedlyencountered technical difficulties moments after leaving the runway.
Eyewitnesses described a loud explosion followed by a massive fireball asthe jet lost control and plummeted near the airbase perimeter. Thick blacksmoke rose into the night sky, prompting an immediate emergency responsefrom airbase personnel and local rescue teams.
Both the pilot and co-pilot managed to eject seconds before impact and wereswiftly rescued. They were taken to Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital formedical evaluation and are reported to be in stable condition with nolife-threatening injuries.
The Royal Malaysian Air Force has launched a full investigation into thecause of the accident. Preliminary assessments suggest a possible technicalmalfunction, though officials have emphasized the need to await thefindings of a formal inquiry before drawing any conclusions.
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The F/A-18D Hornet is a twin-engine, supersonic, all-weather multirolecombat jet originally developed by McDonnell Douglas, now part of Boeing.Malaysia acquired eight of these aircraft in the late 1990s, using themprimarily for air defense and maritime strike missions. Despite the fleet’sstrong safety record, this incident underscores the inherent risksassociated with high-performance military aviation, even under standardoperating conditions.
Flight operations at the airbase were temporarily suspended following thecrash to facilitate cleanup and ensure safety. Officials have confirmedthat no civilians were injured and no nearby infrastructure was damagedduring the incident.