A military helicopter of the Vietnam People’s Army crashed Thursday on Phu Quy Island during strong winds that caused the chopper to lose its balance and fall to the ground, according to initial investigation results.

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The accident happened when the copter was circling to land at a military airport on the island off the south central province of Binh Thuan after conducting a patrol flight.

Three out of eight soldiers aboard the Russian-made Mi-8 were slightly injured, but no one was killed in the accident that took place at 9:30 am.

The chopper broke in half when its tail crashed to the ground.

The three injured include Tran Van Thong, 36; Nguyen Xuan Toan, 53; and Dong Van Vu, 34; who were all taken to a hospital on the mainland.

On January 27, 2015, another military helicopter crashed in Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City soon after it departed from Tan Son Nhat International Airport, killing four soldiers on board.

On July 7, 2014, a third military copter, an MI-171 dropped from the sky in a suburban area of Hanoi, killing 20 soldiers and injuring one.

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