Vietnam Defense Ministry confirms all crew members dead in CASA plane crash

By Hoang Thuy, Vo Van Thanh   June 24, 2016 | 08:25 pm PT
The nine crew members of a CASA search plane that crashed during a rescue mission for a missing fighter jet have been confirmed dead, Vo Van Tuan, Senior Lieutenant General of the Vietnam’s People Army, said at a press conference on June 24.

On June 14, the Su-30MK2 Vietnamese fighter jet crash offshore the central province of Nghe An. The jet had two pilots on board, one of whom, Major Nguyen Huu Cuong, was rescued, but the other, Lieutenant Colonel Tran Quang Khai, 43, was found dead at sea.

Two days after that, the CASA-212-40 with nine people on board went missing while searching for the Su-30MK2.

vietnam-defense-ministry-confirms-all-crew-members-dead-in-casa-plane-crash

Senior Lieutenant General of the Vietnam’s People Army Vo Van Tuan at a press conference on June 24. Photo by VnExpress/Xuan Tuyen

“According to Cuong, the Su-30 had problems in the cockpit so the two pilots ejected. The cause of the CASA 212 crash is still being assessed. However, weather conditions coupled with the low altitude the plane was flying are thought to be the causes of the accident,” said Senior Lieutenant General Vo Van Tuan.

Tuan added that Su-30 crashed at a site 33 nautical miles from Thanh Hoa Province’s Hon Me Island while the CASA went down 15 nautical miles to the south-east of Bach Long Vy Island in the northern province of Hai Phong.

The Ministry of National Defense is searching for the black boxes from the two planes to establish the cause of the tragedy.

Tuan expressed his attitude to Vietnamese fishermen as well as other countries who have helped Vietnam in the search for the two planes.

Related news:

Su-30 fighter and CASA-212 rescuer: the tragedy explained

CASA 212 crew member found dead at crash site

Missing CASA search plane - What we know so far

Vietnamese missing fighter pilot found dead off central coast

 
 
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