Small plane carrying two crew members and six passengers crashes in Malaysia’s Selangor state

A small aircraft with two crew members and six passengers on board crashed during an attempted landing at Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Malaysia’s Selangor state, as reported by the country’s civil aviation authority (CAAM) on Thursday (August 17). Although official confirmation about the condition of the individuals involved is still pending, local police have stated that all eight passengers and crew members on the plane, as well as two locals, lost their lives in the incident.

The crash occurred in Shah Alam’s Elmona city at approximately 2:51 pm local time, according to CAAM.

The aircraft, operated by Jetvalet Sdn. Bhd., had taken off from Langkawi International Airport at 2:08 pm and was en route to Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, according to statements by CAAM’s CEO, Norazman Bin Mahmud, as reported by the New Straits Times (NST).

While the Subang Air Traffic Control Tower noticed smoke emerging from the crash site at 2:51 pm, no distress call was made by the aircraft, as highlighted by NST.

Reports indicate that a motorcyclist and a car driver also lost their lives in the accident. Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan confirmed that these two individuals were hit by the plane.

Among the victims of the crash were a state assemblyman from Pahang and the CEO of an aviation company, adding to the tragic toll.

A viral video circulating on social media showcases the aftermath of the crash, depicting billowing black smoke from the wreckage of the plane, which had veered off the road onto the nearby grass verge.

In response to the incident, Selangor’s caretaker Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari issued a statement expressing condolences to the victims’ families. He urged restraint in sharing images of the victims and discouraged baseless speculation out of respect for their families.

Interestingly, this is not the first aviation tragedy to occur in the area of Elmina, Shah Alam. On September 27, 1977, a Japan Airlines flight 715 crashed in the same vicinity, resulting in the loss of 34 lives. The aircraft had crashed into a hill during a thunderstorm while approaching the Elmina Estate, which was then a rubber plantation.