Wreckage of ill-fated RMAF Hawk jet found

The Royal Malaysian Air Force's search team located the wreckage of its Hawk 108 fighter jet that crashed yesterday, near Kampung Yak Yah in Chukai, Terengganu this morning.

RMAF's headquarters in a statement here said members of the search team in a EC725 helicopter spotted the wreckage at 7am after the search operation resumed today.

"The team from RMAF's 10th Squadron based in Kuantan was made up of Capt Nazir Mohd Nor TUDM, Capt Muhammad Yunus Mat Nor , Air Sgt Azrin Mohamad@Johor, Air Cpl Koperal Udara Sharizal Baktiar Jamali and Air Cpl Zulbakrin Masuda. The two air corporals were hoisted down and they confirmed it was the wreckage of the ill-fated jet," the statement said.

It added that the crash area had been cordoned off and work to bring out the wreckage was underway.

The investigation panel led by Lt Colonel A. John Sham who is being assisted by three officers were on site, according to the statement.

The jet with two pilots on board had taken off from the Kuantan Air Base at 11am but contact was lost at 11.30am. Both pilots perished in the crash and their bodies were recovered in a swampy area in Chukai at 2.30pm yesterday.

-- BERNAMA