The crash of the fighter jet at the Kuantan airbase last month has been confirmed to be due to a bird strike, which led to the failure of the aircraft’s left engine during take-off.
Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) chief Norazlan Aris said the finding was based on preliminary investigations conducted by a board of inquiry, which began its probe on Aug 22.
“All the evidence confirms that the crash was due to a bird strike involving a purple heron,” he told a press conference at the airbase today, according to Utusan Malaysia.
Norazlan said the investigation was carried out with assistance from the Science and Technology Research Institute for Defence, the chemistry department, the police, the wildlife and national parks department (Perhilitan), as well as the US Navy.
He said the bird species was identified through tests conducted on animal bone fragments found in the aircraft’s engine, with further verification by Perhilitan.
“This accident was unavoidable despite standard procedures to disperse wildlife, including birds, before take-off.
“Bird strikes have occurred before, but they had never compromised flight safety. This incident was more severe because of the purple heron’s relatively large size,” he was quoted as saying.
He added that operations of the US-made aircraft, an F/A-18D Hornet, had resumed as normal from today after the jets were grounded following the incident.
The incident occurred on Aug 21 at about 9.05pm on the runway of Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Airport in Kuantan, Pahang, which shares facilities with the airbase.
A video showing the fighter jet catching fire shortly after takeoff was shared widely on social media.
The two RMAF officers involved — pilot Azhar Alang Kamarudin and co-pilot Izzuddin Salleh — successfully ejected before the aircraft crashed.
Azhar sustained back injuries and minor burns to his left heel, while Izzuddin escaped with bruises on several parts of his body.
Norazlan said today both officers are still recuperating and will continue treatment until Oct 2. They will undergo readiness tests before returning to duty.
