by Jassmine Shadiqe

KULAI, MALAYSIA - A Singapore permanent resident crashed his light aircraft near here on Monday, but escaped with only a broken thigh bone and burns.

Sanjay Purusottam, from India, was rescued at 7am yesterday by a team comprising members of the Royal Malaysian Air Force combat air rescue (CAR) squadron and the Fire and Rescue Department.

He was airlifted to Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Baru.

The 41-year-old bank officer needed to complete 30 flying hours to gain his flying licence and had taken a Cessna 152 out on a flight path to Malacca.

The plane ended up hanging nose down from a tree after he crashed at the foot of the Gunung Pulai range.

Sanjay was pinned between his seat and the crushed control panel.

Although the aircraft caught fire after crashing, rain doused the flames.

Kulaijaya police chief Superintendent Zulkefly Yahya said air force personnel from the Kluang base located the crash site at 4pm on Monday but rescuers could only reach it at 5.30pm.

He said Sanjay could not be immediately evacuated as the "jaws of life", a special rescue tool, was needed to cut him free from the wreckage.

"It had also gone dark with thick mist, and attempting to remove him would have been dangerous with poor lighting.

"He was conscious. He waved at us and talked to us, and also used one of the rescuers' mobile phone to contact his wife, Shubhada Bhave."

Zulkefly said Sanjay was given on-site treatment by CAR members who also fed him.

He had earlier taken off from Sultan Ismail Airport in Senai at 9.42am and was heading to Batu Berendam Airport in Malacca.

He was expected to arrive in Malacca at 10.50am.

Sanjay decided to turn his two-seater Cessna aircraft back to Senai after experiencing problems due to strong winds.

Senai control tower lost contact with Sanjay at 10.15am as he was flying over Benut in Pontian.