Vietnam has announced the reasons behind three out of four military aircraft crashes occurring earlier this year, with many individuals responsible sternly sanctioned.

During a meeting of the National Assembly delegate in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday morning, Major General Nguyen Minh Hoang, an official from the Ministry of National Defense publicized the causes of the military aircraft accidents.  

Regarding the first tragedy, Russian-made fighter jet Su30-MK2 fell down during a training session off the central coastline on the morning of June 14, with one pilot brought to safety and the other found dead a few days later.

The black box was damaged by the crash, Maj. Gen. Hoang stated, adding that what is left of the device has been sent to Russia for a check.

From the subjective perspective, the two pilots did not eject from the plane simultaneously, resulting in the death of one of them, the military official said.

Coast guard aircraft CASA-212 8983 carrying nine crew members got into an accident on June 16 while looking for the missing victim, who was later confirmed dead, of the Su30-MK2, killing all people aboard.

According to Maj. Gen. Hoang, Colonel Le Kiem Toan, captain of the rescue plane, decided to lower altitude after spotting a strange object in the middle of the ocean near the Gulf of Tokin.

The aircraft touched the water surface due to instability caused by bad weather conditions, resulting in the fatal crash, he continued, adding that the black box is being examined by foreign experts.

With regard to the crash of military training plane L-39 in the south-central province of Phu Yen on August 26, the aircraft experienced an engine breakdown shortly after taking off.

The pilot tried to steer the plane out of a residential area and lost his chance of survival after being unable to eject.

The reason behind the EC 130 T2 helicopter tragedy in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on October 18, which killed an instructor and two trainees, remains unclear, Hoang said.

As the chopper was a commercial aircraft, the military has been working with the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam to determine the cause, the official elaborated.

Over 40 disciplined

The accidents primarily stemmed from the incompetent management of flight safety, Maj. Gen. Hoang asserted, adding that over 40 officers, of whom two were among the general ranks, from several military units and schools had been penalized.

Another reason is the lack of synchronization in rescue missions and linked to a limited number of specialized rescue aircraft.

The management and training of pilots in the country are still under par, the military official continued.

Following the penalization, a thorough inspection will be carried out of the quality of aircraft and of military units and academies.

For a long-term solution, pilots will be trained overseas and certain measures will be developed to repair and upgrade airplanes in the country, the major general said.

The Ministry of National Defense will also ask the State and Party to purchase new and modern military aircraft in the near future.