KUALA LUMPUR – A fighter jet belonging to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) was involved in an accident at the Kuantan Airbase on Thursday evening, the RMAF confirmed in a statement.
The incident, which occurred at 9.05 pm at Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Airport, involved an F/A-18D Hornet aircraft.
The RMAF said is currently taking swift action in response to the event and will provide further updates.
In its statement, RMAF urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified information or speculation regarding the incident.
Earlier, two videos circulated online showing flashes of light and thick smoke, which were believed to have been captured by residents near the crash site.
According to Bernama, Pahang Chief Datuk Yahaya Othman confirmed the safety of both the pilot and the co-pilot.
Social media has been flooded with videos and images from local residents, capturing the bright orange flames from the explosion, which lit up the night sky.
A video, 29 seconds long, was shared widely on social media, showing a fighter jet taking off from the runway at Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Airport.
At the 17-second mark, a flash of bright light is visible, followed by sparks trailing from the aircraft before it is consumed by flames.
RMAF Chief General Datuk Seri Muhammad Norazlan Aris, when contacted by the media, had also confirmed the incident.
“Affirm, there was an incident involving the aircraft,” he said, as quoted by the NST. – August 21, 2025