A Vietnamese military plane hit the ground during a training flight in the south-central province of Phu Yen on Friday, leaving one of the two pilots confirmed dead.

A source from Phu Yen administration confirmed that the crash happened at 8:30 am.

The L-39 training aircraft, coded 8705 from Regiment 910, crashed into a rice field only minutes after takeoff, according to a source close to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

A local said the plane had crashed into the median strip on the National Highway No.1A before hitting a man and severely injuring him on its way to the rice field.

It is suspected that the engine was failed when the plane had taken off. The commander had asked the pilots to return to the airport, but it crashed midway of fulfilling the order.

The fuselage of the small-scale aircraft remained intact, even though its head and other parts were destroyed.

The deceased is Pham Duc Trung, 22, a pilot trainee at the Air Force Academy, the school vice-headmaster Vu Duc Quy confirmed to Tuoi Tre.

The crash site has been blocked to serve the rescue efforts.

Nguyen Thi Diep, a small vendor at a nearby market, said the crash was accompanied by an extremely loud noise the moment the plane hit the ground.

“A crowd of people rushed to see the crash,” she said.

Below are photos at the scene:

A L-39 aircraft. Photo: Quan Doi Nhan Dan

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