KUALA LUMPUR, 22 August 2025 – The Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, visited the Sultan Ahmad Shah Airport in Kuantan on Friday following the crash of a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) F/A-18D Hornet fighter jet during a routine night training exercise.
According to a statement shared on the Kesultanan Pahang Facebook page, His Majesty was accompanied by RMAF Chief General Datuk Seri Muhammad Norazlan Aris during the site visit.
The Sultan also met with the two surviving crew members at the Armed Forces Hospital (RSAT) within RMAF Kuantan Air Base, offering words of encouragement and support.
The incident, which occurred at 9.05 p.m. on Thursday, saw the pilot, Major Mohamad Azhar Alang Kamarudin, and weapons systems officer, Captain Mohamad Izzudin Mohamad Salleh, successfully eject from the jet before it crashed. Both sustained only minor injuries.
While no lives were lost, the fighter jet was completely destroyed. The crash also forced a temporary closure of the airport runway, which was only reopened around noon on Friday after clearance operations were completed.
