A light aircraft crashed into jungle in Sungai Ladong, Simunjan, in Samarahan today, killing the pilot and injuring a surgeon who was also on board, police said.

Simunjan police chief DSP Choo Yin Kok identified the pilot as Stanley Tiong, 61, and the surgeon as Dr Ngu Siu Kong, 58, of the Normah Medical Specialist Centre in Kuching.

He said the police rushed two officers and 18 men to the spot after villagers called to inform about the crash at 9am and found the plane caught in the trees.

Dr Ngu was still in the aircraft when the search-and-rescue team got there but fell to the ground suddenly and sustained injuries, Choo told Bernama when contacted.

Choo could not give details of the aircraft route and flight time but Bernama learnt that the plane was on a flight from Kuching to Sibu when it crashed.

He said the Royal Malaysia Air Force (RMAF) was also involved in the SAR operation, with the use of a Nuri helicopter.

An ambulance of the armed forces medical centre at the Kuching airbase brought Tiong's body and Dr Ngu to the Sarawak General Hospital at 1.40pm.

Pilot alive when found

Family members of Tiong and Dr Ngu were at the hospital. After treatment at the hospital, Dr Ngu was taken to the Normah Medical Specialist Centre for further treatment.

He was reported to be in stable condition. Family members dissuaded reporters from approaching Dr Ngu, saying he should

be allowed to undergo treatment and get some rest.

Meanwhile, a Kampung Sungai Ladong resident, Munir Che, 55, said the pilot was still alive when he and a group of villagers found him lying on the ground while Dr Ngu was trapped in a fuselage on top of a tree.

He said the aircraft was flying very low around the village before it crashed into trees and exploded.

"I heard the explosion at 8.15am and suspected that the plane that I had seen earlier had crashed," he said.

Munir said his friend, Tegah Jaapar, 55, alerted Simunjan police about the crash before he (Munir) and seven other villagers traversed the jungle for one hour to reach the crash site.

"The smell of fuel and smoke brought us to the wreckage. The plane was broken into two with the fuselage entangled on top of a tree while several parts of the engine were on the ground.

- Bernama