Vietnam military aircraft crashes in central highlands, pilot ejects safely

The YAK-130 jet, flown by First Lieutenant Dinh Thanh Trung of the 940th Air Regiment under the Air Force Officer Training School, took off at 7:27 am as part of a scheduled training flight.

It encountered a technical malfunction and lost contact at 7:44 am, the ministry said in a statement.

After unsuccessful attempts to resolve the problem, the pilot steered the aircraft away from populated areas and ejected safely.

Local residents assisted him before he was taken to Phu Yen General Hospital, where doctors said his injuries were not life-threatening.

The aircraft crashed into Hon Vinh mountain near the boundary of Hoa Xuan Commune and Dong Hoa Ward, an area that was formerly part of old Phu Yen Province before its merger into Dak Lak under a nationwide administrative overhaul in July 2025.

The crash caused no damage to people or property on the ground, authorities said.

Local officials said emergency and military units were deployed to secure the site, while investigators are working with local authorities to determine the cause of the crash.

A nearby resident, Pham Ngoc Hung, 67, said he heard a loud engine noise followed by an explosion around 7:30 am, after which a column of smoke rose from the mountain area.