A Malaysian air force plane crashed into a rice field today during a training flight in Kedah, but the two crew members survived the accident, the Royal Malaysian Air Force said.

The Pilatus PC-7 aircraft went down early in the morning some seven kilometres (four miles) from Alor Setar, the state's capital.

The two pilots who were in the aircraft are safe, the RMAF said in a statement released through the state Bernama news agency.

"They are safe and they are now receiving treatment at the air force medical centre," said air force spokesman Zulkiflee Abdul Latiff, adding that an investigation would be launched.

Meanwhile in Alor Star, Bernama reported that both RMAF officers involved in the incident had been discharged from the medical centre.

The crash site has been closed to the public to enable RMAF personnel to conduct on-site investigations.

Shaken but not hurt

Farmer Amran Sulaiman, 36, said he saw the aircraft crash-landing while he was riding a motorcycle to his padi field nearby.

"I saw it coming down and did not hear the engine running. After it crashed, I just looked at it from a narrow tarred-road about 400 metres from the aircraft.

"About 10 minutes later, I saw two pilots in green overalls coming out of the aircraft and approached them. They looked shaken but not hurt," he said when met near the crash site.

He said one of them asked for a handphone from him and he handed it over to them.

Amran who lives in Kampung Hujung Alor Merah said more RMAF personnel arrived at the scene 10 minutes after the call.

"Both pilots were taken out of the area on a RMAF helicopter and we were told to leave the area," he added.