A Royal Malaysia Air Force (RMAF) light aircraft on a training flight crashed just short of the runway at the international airport on Langkawi island today, killing the two pilots on board.

The RMAF public relations division, in a statement issued here, identified the pilots as flight commander Maj Mohd Zulkifli Hasan, 38, and co-pilot Maj Mohd Roszaini Mohd Mustafa.

It said the aircraft, a PC7 MKII, was engaged in diversion manoeuvres after taking off from the RMAF college here at 11.54am when it crashed at 12.20pm. Both pilots died at the crash site, it added.

Mohd Zulkifli, who was from Taiping, Perak, leaves a wife and five children while Mohd Roszaini, who was from Kuala Krai, Kelantan, leaves a wife and three children.

The statement said the RMAF would set up a board of investigation to determine the cause of the accident.

90 metres short of runway

Langkawi Persiaran Putera Fire and Rescue Services chief Yaakob Hassan had said earlier that the aircraft crashed just 90 metres short of the runway and burst into flames.

He said 18 fire and rescue personnel were rushed to the crash site but the fire had died out by the time they reached the location.

The bodies of the pilots were removed at 1.20pm and sent to the Langkawi Hospital, he said.

It is learnt that the bodies of the pilots had been flown from the Langkawi Hospital to the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital here, and had been claimed by the families.

- Bernama