Thousands of students watched as M'sian pilot dies in airshow crash



[above: Police at the crash site; a file picture of the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II shown inset.]
ALOR SETAR, Malaysia: Thousands of Universiti Utara Malaysia students and their parents watched in horror as a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Pilatus PC-7 exploded and caught fire in midair during a solo airshow at 10.15am on Thursday.
The 33-year-old pilot was manoeuvring the aircraft to thrill the crowd at the opening of the UUM convocation expo when the plane's engine compartment, in front of the cockpit, exploded and caught fire.

The crowd watched helplessly as the pilot bailed out of the diving plane, with thick black smoke trailing from the engine compartment, before it crashed behind the Bukit Tangga Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) next to the UUM campus. Although the pilot managed to eject from the plane, his body, still strapped to the seat, was found some 10m from the wreckage.
The body was airlifted from the scene to the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital for a post-mortem.
A police spokesman said the plane had earlier left the RMAF College in Kepala Batas, Alor Setar, to perform at the airshow.
RMAF has used the aircraft since 1982 to train its pilots at its flight college.
In September last year, two RMAF pilots were killed when their Pilatus PC-7 crashed and burst into flames at the Langkawi International Airport.
The plane had taken off from the Sultan Abdul Halim Airport in Kepala Batas, Alor Setar but crashed in an open area some 90m from the tarmac at the Langkawi airport.
Currently, the RMAF has 30 units of the Swiss-made PC-7 Mk I and eight units of the older version of the PC-7 Mk II.
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Pilot killed in airshow

The aircraft crashed in a jungle near Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) sports complex here at 10.15 am on Thursday. -- PHOTO: STAR

ALOR SETAR - A PILOT was killed when his Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) aircraft exploded and caught fire in midair during a solo airshow on Thursday, watched by thousands of horrified spectators.
The aircraft crashed in a jungle near Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) sports complex here at 10.15 am on Thursday.
Major Muhammed Zulrihan Jusof, a trainer at RMAF Flying College in Kepala Batas near Alor Setar, was killed on the spot.
A statement from Malaysia's Defence Ministry said the PC-7 MK II aircraft piloted by Zulrihan left RMAF base in Kepala Batas at 10.03am.
A RMAF search and rescue team found Zulrihan's body not far from the aircraft and used a Nuri helicopter to airlift him from the jungle area to a hospital in Alor Setar.
Zulrihan, who was doing a solo show to mark UUM's 23rd convocation, was attempting a difficult manoeuvre when the aircraft crashed.
'After about 300 metres from the sports complex, the aircraft made two manoeuvres, ascended 90 degrees and suddenly came sliding down,' said AzlanJamaluddin, 26, a former UUM student.
Azlan, who was about 500 metres from the crash site, said he heard two big explosions before the aircraft crashed.
UUM College of Arts and Science student Siti Fatimah Kamal, 22, said she and her friends saw the aircraft ascending 90 degrees and then plunging.
'We heard two explosions and fled to safety,' she said.
A board of inquiry had been set up to investigate the cause of the crash, RMAF said in a statement on Thursday. -- BERNAMA

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