2 planes from Indonesian acrobatic team crash at practice for Malaysia air show; pilots safe

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Two planes from an Indonesian acrobatic air team clipped wings and crashed Sunday during a practice session ahead of an air show in Malaysia, officials said. All four pilots ejected and are safe.

The pilots from both planes ejected from their aircraft after the jets went out of control and landed safely with their parachutes, said a Malaysian defence official who declined to be named because he wasn’t authorized to speak to the media.

A house and a car caught fire due to falling debris from the plane, the organizers of the air show, held on northern Langkawi island, said in a statement.

The four pilots were under observation at a hospital in Langkawi.

Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein visited them at the hospital and tweeted: “Thankful that all 4 pilots are safe, their spirits remained high.”

The Indonesian team is one of five scheduled to perform at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition, set for March 17-21.