Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called for a thorough investigation into the crash of a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) F/A-18D Hornet at Kuantan, urging authorities to determine the cause and ensure all necessary safety measures are implemented.
The incident occurred at 21:05 local time on August 21, 2025, at Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Airport (KUA), which shares facilities with the RMAF’s Kuantan Air Base.
Video circulating on social media shows sparks trailing from the Hornet during the take-off roll, followed by an apparent explosion that engulfed the aircraft in flames.
Seperti sahabat kabor, santai aset pertahanan kita tak perlu tambah.. kereta menteri je kena up to date betui kan? @goonstac @Marchfoward pic.twitter.com/K670bbQqwp
— Datuk Pengelola Bijaya Diraja (@OnePolar) August 21, 2025
Within an hour, the RMAF confirmed the incident and appealed to the public to refrain from speculation while the facts are established.
Crew ejects safely
“The RMAF is currently taking immediate action and will inform you of the current developments regarding the accident. All parties are requested not to spread any speculation or unverified news,” it said in a statement.
Both crew members ejected before impact and were taken to Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital in Kuantan for treatment. According to the RMAF, the pilot sustained back injuries and minor burns while the weapons system officer suffered bruising. Both were discharged in the early hours of August 22, 2025, and are continuing to recuperate under military care.
RMAF Chief General Datuk Seri Muhamad Norazlan Aris visited the crash site and the hospitalized crew. The RMAF has now convened a board of inquiry in line with standard accident procedures.
First loss of an RMAF Hornet
This is believed to be the first major loss of an RMAF F/A-18D Hornet since the type entered service in 1997. The fleet has, however, faced several non-fatal incidents. In 2003, a Hornet skidded off the runway at Kuching after a tire explosion, with both crew members ejecting safely. In 2017, another Hornet aircraft made an emergency landing at the same airport following a landing gear issue. In 2019, a further Hornet suffered a turbine failure during take-off at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition and returned to land on a single engine.
Malaysia’s Hornet fleet
Malaysia operates eight two-seat F/A-18D Hornets acquired from McDonnell Douglas, now Boeing. The twin-engine, multirole fighters are powered by General Electric F404-GE-402 engines.
The fleet underwent a structural life-extension in 2011, received weapons systems upgrades in 2017, and completed heavy maintenance in 2022 under the Local Planned Maintenance 12 Years program.
1 comment
Both engines were running in full afterburner during the T/O roll, the sparks occur at or shortly before rotation and the ‘chugging’ and repetitive increases in flames indicate compressor stalls most probably from 1) ingestion of some FOD or 2) some mechanical failure of rotating components within the engine(s). If it was uncontained, it could affect the second engine and lead to multiple systems faults/failures rendering the aircraft uncontrollable resulting in the safe ejection of both crew members.