Singapore (Commonwealth Union)_Mr Jinaidi Nasiran had been changing his car tyres at his home in Kapar, Malaysia, when he spotted a plane flying “incorrectly” in the sky.
Malaysian news agency Bernama reported on the evening of 13th February that he then witnessed the plane nose-dive into the ground, crashing into a nearby oil palm plantation,
The Singapore-owned, two-seater Blackshape Gabriel BK 160 aircraft crashed into Kapar, west of Kuala Lumpur on the afternoon of 13th February.
The bodies of the victims – the pilot and the passenger, both Malaysians on board, have been found, recovered and identified as 30-year-old Daniel Yee and 42-year-old Roshaan Singh Raina, Malaysian news outlet The Star reported.
Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan said their bodies were found in the cockpit and recovered at 8.05pm, and informed The Star the wreckage was buried 2m in the ground as a result of the crash’s impact.
He said earlier that both bodies would be taken to Klang Hospital for a post-mortem and identification by family members. He added that debris from the aircraft was found within a 50m radius of the crash site.
Mr Nasiran, 55, who lives in Kampung Tok Muda said that something was off with the way the aircraft was flying.
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He said he rushed to the crash site and saw that the plane was already in pieces and slightly buried in the ground and although he tried, he failed to find any victims at the crash site.
About 130 to 150 personnel from various agencies were involved in the search operation and the Air Accident Investigation Bureau, under Malaysia’s Transport Ministry, will be investigating the crash.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) earlier stated that the two-seater Blackshape Gabriel BK 160 aircraft, operated by the Air Adventure Flying Club, crashed near the town of Kapar in Selangor.
CAAM said the aircraft had taken off from Subang Airport in Kuala Lumpur at 1.28 pm for a recreational flight, and the last contact between the aircraft and the Kuala Lumpur Air Traffic Control Centre had been at 1.35 pm. No distress call was received.
CAAM added that the Kuala Lumpur Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre was activated immediately to locate the aircraft.
Ahmad Fuad Nasrudin, Fire and Rescue Department officer told The Star earlier that they were continuing their search and had found nothing at this point of time.
“We are also investigating to find out what could have happened (to the pilot and anyone else).”
In a video shared on social media, debris is seen falling from the sky. The caption states that two explosions were heard prior to the aircraft crashed to the ground.
According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, the aircraft with registration code I-POOC took off, flew southwards and then made a right turn towards the west.
The aircraft then ascended to an altitude of 1,725ft (526m) maintaining an airspeed of around 130 knots (240kmh). At 5.35 pm, it began losing altitude, with the last known flight data showing that it had reached a vertical speed of negative 4,096ft (1,250m) per minute.
Vertical speed is a measure of the rate of an aircraft’s ascent or descent, indicated respectively by positive and negative values.
Speaking to The Straits Times over the phone, a spokesman for Singapore-based flight training company Aviation Safety Technology (AST), which owns the aircraft, stated that the plane was flying in preparation for the Singapore Airshow, which will take place from 20th to 25th February.
AST’s website said that the aircraft, along with other products, is part of the air show’s outdoor static display.
Straits Times has contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Air Adventure Flying Club for more information.
