LUMUT, Malaysia - Two Singaporeans had a close shave when a light aircraft they were in crash-landed into the sea near Teluk Dalam at Pangkor Island off Perak, The Star reported on Monday (Nov 16).

Their Piper 32 light aircraft went dangerously close to a van packed with tourists before hitting the water on Sunday afternoon, the report said.

The two Singaporeans, identified as Tan Les Lie, 66, and Yip Kin Long, 51, suffered only slight injuries from the ordeal.

Mr Tan, who was piloting the plane, injured his lower lip, according to The Star. Mr Yip and his Chinese wife, Madam Liang Jiao, 27, hurt their shoulder and back while co-pilot Khoo Lam Thean, 76, from Ipoh, injured his left hand and right leg.

They received outpatient treatment at the Pangkor health clinic, The Star said.

"There are no signs of concussion or serious injuries. They were standing on the beach after being rescued by people in the area," the newspaper cited Dr Talib Salleh, the doctor who attended to the four, as saying.

But the swooping plane gave other tourists a fright.

"Had I driven a few seconds faster, the aircraft would have crashed into my van," said the driver of the vehicle the plane zipped closed to.

The man, who wanted to be known only as Katan, in his 50s, said he was driving a van full of tourists on a sightseeing tour of the area when the aircraft appeared in front of his vehicle.

"The tourists in the van screamed their lungs out after seeing the aircraft flying close to us.

"We were very lucky," he told The Star.

A police official, Assistant Commissioner Tengku Mohd Zailan Tengku Ahmad, said the aircraft was registered in Thailand under Ever Success Auto Ltd.

He said the aircraft had taken off from the Pangkor airstrip at about 1.20pm and was heading towards Subang when its engine failed only minutes into the flight.

"Its engine had some failure, forcing the pilot to abort and land the aircraft," said ACP Tengku Zailan.

The plane, he added, was later dragged to shore with a cable pulled by a bulldozer.