The scene of the military plane crash in the south-central coastal province of Khanh Hoa on June 14 – PHOTO: VNA

The ministry said in a statement that the Russian two-seater training aircraft, a Yakovlev Yak-52 of the 920 Regiment under the Air Force Officer Training School in Nha Trang City of Khanh Hoa, lost contact with its operation control center at 9:35 while returning to the airport after a 25-minute training session.

Authorities were reported to have taken measures to approach the aircraft that crashed in a non-residential area of Nha Trang.

One pilot was found dead inside the aircraft, while the other pilot reportedly died on the way to hospital. The deceased were identified as Captain Le Xuan Truong, 33, of the First Squad of the 920 Regiment, and trainee Sergeant Dao Van Long.

The ministry’s agencies were told to work with local authorities to address the fallout from the crash and support the families of the dead.

The Yak-52 model flew its maiden flight in 1976 in Russia and was later manufactured in Romania by Aerostar. It was designed to train civilian sport pilots and military pilots in the former Soviet Union. SGT

Thanh Thom

Two pilots die in military plane crash in Khanh Hoa

A military plane went down in Suoi Tan Commune, Cam Lam District, Khanh Hoa today, June 14, killing two pilots, the local media reported, citing Nguyen Ngoc Khue, chairman of Suoi Tan Commune.