Sad! Two pilots in missing Malaysian military aircraft recovered dead

The two pilots flying the Malaysian air force Hawk 108 training aircraft, which was reportedly missing earlier have been found dead in a forest swamp, the Malaysian Air Force commander, Affendi Buang, said on Thursday.

The two pilots, aged 31 and 39 respectively were found in the state of wearing their parachute.

However, the cause of death was yet to be determined, according to a report from Bernama news agency.

The wreckage of the missing plane, a two-seat trainer jet, is also yet to be found.

The plane took off from an airbase in Kuantan at 11am local time but lost contact half an hour later.

Affendi announced at the press conference that the air force would form a special body to investigate the incident, and before that, all Hawk 108 flights would be suspended.

Hawk is a single-engine training jet manufactured by British BAE systems.

It could be also used as a combat aircraft.

Aviation International News reported in March that BAE Systems will help the Malaysian air force, which previously operates six Hawk 108s, upgrade the 12 single-seat 208s.

The Hawk jets were all purchased in the 1990s. (Xinhua/NAN)