Binh Dinh (VNA) – The decision by two pilots to parachute from their aircraft was correct, said Lieutenant General Pham Truong Son, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army.
The official made the confirmation during his November 7 visit to the pair, who were involved in a military plane crash during a training flight over Tay Xuan commune in the south-central province of Binh Dinh’s Tay Son district on November 6.
According to Son, this case mandated parachuting rather than attempting an emergency landing on any type of runway, including those covered with fire-retardant materials. With one landing gear failing to deploy, a landing would be dangerously imbalanced, likely resulting in a fire or explosion and posing an immediate fatal risk to the pilots.
He noted that although the pilots were permitted to eject immediately, they continued to fly approximately 20 kilometers toward a mountainous site, ensuring no risk to populated areas below. Due to rainy and windy conditions, their parachutes drifted, causing them to land over 10 kilometers away from the intended area.
Preliminary investigations suggest a technical malfunction was the cause of the incident. The aircraft experienced a right-side landing gear failure as it prepared to land.
Following the rescue of both pilots from a remote forest area on the night of November 6, they were taken to Military Hospital 13 for medical examination. Their condition is reported to be stable, with only minor soft tissue injuries that are not expected to impact their overall health.
The Yak-130 military aircraft took off from Phu Cat airport at 9:55 am for a long-distance and cloud-crossing training session. The accident happened when they tried to land as the landing gear could not be released and their emergency measures did not work. They were able to parachute from the plane at 10:51am at the TB2 shooting range in Tay Son district./.
