A Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) fighter jet caught fire and crashed during takeoff at Sultan Ahmad Shah Airport in Kuantan on Thursday evening, creating a massive fireball on the runway.
The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Hornet was seen speeding down the runway with flames trailing behind before it exploded and crashed.
Both Pilots Eject Safely After Crash
According to the Royal Malaysian Air Force, the incident occurred at 9:05 PM on the runway shared between the airport and Kuantan airbase. In an official statement reported by Free Malaysia Today, RMAF confirmed:
“Immediate action is being taken to investigate the cause of the incident.”
Both the pilot and the weapons systems officer on board managed to eject safely. Pahang police chief Yahaya Othman confirmed that both crew members were taken to Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan for medical checks.
Malaysia’s F/A-18D Hornet Fleet
The Royal Malaysian Air Force currently operates eight F/A-18D Hornets, which were first inducted into service in 1997.
Footage of the burning jet has gone viral on social media.
#WATCH: Video Footage of the moment when a Malaysian Air Force F-18 crashed in Kuantan. The jet burst into flames shortly after rolling down the runway around 9.05 pm, but both pilots ejected safely.#F18 #MalaysianAirForce #JetCrash #kuantan #SultanAhmadShahAirport #Malaysia… pic.twitter.com/DOfHZBJWOz
— LoudFact (@loudfactcom) August 21, 2025
Similar Incident in the US
This crash comes just a day after a US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed into the ocean off the coast of Virginia during a routine training flight.
The US Navy confirmed that the pilot, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 83, ejected safely before the aircraft went down. The pilot was rescued around 11:21 AM ET and later taken to a hospital for evaluation, according to Navy spokesperson Lt Jackie Parashar.
