BINH DINH (Vietnam), Nov 7 (Bernama-VNA) --Both pilots involved in a military aircraft crash during a training flight over the Tay Xuan commune in Binh Dinh’s Tay Son district on November 6 were found safe later that same day.
According to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), the two pilots were reported to be in stable condition and have been rescued from the mountain.
The search and rescue team found Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Hong Quan, chief flight instructor of the Air Force Regiment 940, at 8.05 pm.
Then, at 10.30 PM, Colonel Nguyen Van Son, Commander of Air Force Regiment 940, was found approximately 1 kilometre away from Quan’s location.
Earlier, at around 4.30 pm, Quan contacted his unit via mobile phone, indicating he was on a mountain peak, though weak signals made the exact location unclear. He assured them he was in good health.
At around 6.45 pm, the search and rescue team received information from Son’s mobile phone.
The Yak-130 military aircraft took off from Phu Cat Airport at 9.55 am for a long-distance, cloud-crossing training session. The accident occurred during landing when the landing gear failed to release, and the emergency measures did not work. The pilots successfully parachuted from the plane at 10.51 am at the TB2 shooting range in Tay Son district.
-- BERNAMA-VNA