KUALA LUMPUR: The nation was rocked today by news that an aircraft, carrying eight people, crashed in the Elmina township in Shah Alam.
The aircraft was a private jet en route from Langkawi to the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang.
It crashed two minutes before it was scheduled to land.
The NST breaks down what has transpired so far.
THE AIRCRAFT
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The aircraft was a Beechcraft Model 390 (Premier 1) bearing the registration number N28JV. It was operated by Jetvalet Sdn Bhd, a KL-based company operating out of the Subang airport.
The company is a subsidiary of Koperasi Amanah Pelaburan Bhd.
The aircraft is a six-seater, capable of a top speed of Mach 0.68 or 840kph, with a range of 1,350nm or 2,500km.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), the plane was airworthy.
THE PILOTS
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Based on the flight manifest, the aircraft had two flight crew. The manifest listed Shahrul Kamal Roslan, 41, as the PIC or pilot in command.
Heikal Aras Abdul Azim, 45, was the SIC or second in command.
Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) chief executive officer Datuk Norazman Mahmud said both pilots were experienced and had valid licences.
Based on reports, Sharul Kamal was an experienced aviator who had stints with three other commercial airlines.
It is understood that prior to joining Jetvalet, his last stint was with Etihad. However, he was allegedly let go by the airline during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He had also served as a first officer for AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines.
THE PASSENGERS
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There were six passengers on board. Datuk Seri Johari Harun, 53, was the assemblyman for the Pelangi state constituency in Pahang, as well as the state Local Government, Housing, Environment and Green technology exco member.
Also on the flight was his personal assistant, 41-year-old Idris Abdol Talib @ Ramali.
The other passengers were Kharil Azwan Jamaludin, 43; Shaharul Amir Omar, 49; Mohamad Naim Fawwaz Mohamed Muaidi, 35; and Muhammad Taufiq Mohd Zaki, 37.
THE INCIDENT
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The aircraft departed from Langkawi International Airport at 2.08pm headed to Subang.
At approximately 2.47pm, the aircraft made first contact with the Subang Air Traffic Control Tower.
The ATC gave the aircraft its landing clearance a minute later.
However, at 2.51pm, the Subang Air Traffic Control Tower saw plumes of smoke originating along the aircraft's flight path.
There was also no mayday call from the pilots.
Meanwhile, the Shah Alam police command centre received a distress call at 2.55pm regarding a plane crash along the Guthrie Corridor Expressway.
Police subsequently deployed its patrol vehicles to the scene.
At the same time, the Kuala Lumpur Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (KL ARCC) was activated to coordinate a search and rescue mission.
Police cordoned off the area as the Fire and Rescue Department battled the flames from the crash.
Apart from the eight on board, it was discovered that a motorcyclist and the driver of a car were also casualties in the crash.
Eyewitnesses reported that the motorcyclist was still alive and engulfed in flames for a short while.
Videos of the incident, comprising dash cam footages as well as CCTV footage from nearby houses, began spreading on social media.
Some showed the charred tarmac the plane crashed onto while others also showed a blazing fireball produced from the impact.
THE AFTERMATH
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As of 10.30pm, the authorities have managed to recover all 10 bodies from the crash site.
Also recovered were five bags of body parts.
All the remains will be sent to the Tuanku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital's pathology department for processing and identification.
Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said also recovered was the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), one of the components of the black box.
The Air Accident Investigation Bureau will be processing the CVR for clues on the cause of the crash.
The flight data recorder, at press time, has yet to be found.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said DNA samples would be collected from the next of kin to identify the victims.
The samples would be collected at the Klang Selatan police headquarters.
Police believe that the post-mortem examination would be completed by noon tomorrow (Friday).
The search and rescue team at the crash site, meanwhile, would continue to comb the area for more remains, if any.