Military plane crashes in central Viet Nam

The aircraft, belonging to the 940th Air Regiment of the Air Force Officer School, was engaged in a complex training mission involving long-distance, no-horizon and cloud penetration flying, in challenging weather conditions.

Colonel Nguyen Van Son and Senior Colonel Nguyen Hong Quan were piloting the aircraft when the incident occurred.

As the aircraft prepared to land after completing its training objectives, the pilots discovered the landing gear failed to deploy. Despite attempting emergency procedures, they were unable to rectify the issue.

With the safety of the crew paramount, the pilots were authorised to eject from the aircraft. Colonel Nguyen Van Son and Senior Colonel Nguyen Hong Quan successfully ejected at approximately 11am.

The Air Defence – Air Force is joining hands with competent forces and localities to expedite the search and rescue activities on both air and the ground.

Updates on the situation will be provided as more information becomes available. — VNS