A two-seater Malaysian air force Hawk 100 jet fighter crashed into the South China Sea during a routine military exercise, killing the two crew members aboard, a senior official said today.

"The aircraft crashed into the sea off the coast of Kuantan, in the central Pahang state," said Major Roslan Salam, an air force communications officer.

Roslan said one crew member was dead at the scene while the other died after being taken to a hospital. - AFP