Mystery Surrounds Missing Pilots in Vietnam Yak-130 Crash

Two pilots are missing after a Yak-130 training aircraft crashed in Vietnam's Binh Dinh province. Initial reports from VnExpress and Tuoi Tre were removed. The Vietnamese defence ministry has not responded to requests for comment. A similar incident occurred last year involving a Su-22 jet crash.

In a concerning development, two pilots have gone missing after a Yak-130 light combat training aircraft, made in Russia, crashed in Vietnam's Binh Dinh province on Wednesday. Initial reports of the incident surfaced on prominent Vietnamese news sites VnExpress and Tuoi Tre, though the articles were subsequently taken down.

The sudden removal of these reports has left many unanswered questions, as Vietnam's defence ministry remains silent despite a request for comment from Reuters. The incident underscores ongoing challenges in military aviation safety in the region.

Just last year, Vietnam experienced another aviation tragedy when a pilot lost his life during a training exercise while attempting to land a Russian-made Su-22 at a local airport. The repeated incidents have sparked discussions on pilot safety and aircraft reliability in Vietnam's air force.

(With inputs from agencies.)