KUALA LUMPUR: The cause of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Beechcraft B200T crash at the Butterworth airbase will be known within weeks.

Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) chief General Datuk Seri Affendi Buang said investigations are proceeding smoothly.

“The evidence we are getting now will determine in the near future the cause of the incident.

“However, at this moment, it is still too early for us to say anything,” he told a press conference here this morning.

Earlier, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein visited the two RMAF officers who were injured in Wednesday’s air crash at the Penang Hospital here.

They are Captain Wai Lik, 24, of Mentakab, Pahang, and Airforce Sergeant Mohd Sofi Azizan, 29, of Sik, Kedah.

Wai Lik is at the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) while Sofi is at the orthopaedic ward. Also present was Malaysian Armed Forces chief General Tan Sri Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor.

Hishammuddin said he was happy with the progress of the two injured officers.

Meanwhile, Affendi said they are still waiting to record a statement from the key witness, Wai Lik, who is still unconscious.

Asked if any distress call was made or if the aircraft’s black box has been recovered, he said: “Let the investigations take its course.”

The 5.18pm incident saw RMAF pilot Major Kayamboo Chellah, 44, killed.

He was buried yesterday with full military honours.

Another injured — Lieutenant Hamdi Hanafi, 26, from Beranang, Selangor — was transferred to the Tuanku Mizan Armed Forces Hospital (HAT Mizan). Hishammuddin visited him yesterday afternoon.

-NST