Coast Guard searches for signs of 'plane crash at sea'

Khanh Hoa fishermen reported seeing a plane crash into the sea, however after a day of searching, the Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, and Aviation have not found any trace.

Speaking to VnExpress on the evening of March 31, Major General Nguyen Quang Dam, Commander of the Vietnam Coast Guard, said that after fishermen reported seeing a plane crash in the waters near the Truong Sa archipelago on the evening of March 30, the Vietnam Coast Guard conducted a verification but still found no trace and no country has announced that the plane is missing.

Vietnamese fishing boats in the East Sea.

At around 8pm tonight, the head of the Office of the National Search and Rescue Committee confirmed that fishermen in Khanh Hoa reported seeing a plane with its lights on crashing into the water while they were fishing. Immediately afterwards, there was a very loud explosion 25 nautical miles west-southwest of Nam Yet Island. A fishing boat from Khanh Hoa and 5 other boats ran to the area where the plane crashed but only recorded an oil slick.

"This morning we have transferred information to the Navy, Air Force, Vietnam Air Traffic Management Center, Civil Aviation Authority, Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to contact countries with flights through this area. However, so far no country has confirmed that a plane has crashed," the leader said.

After a day of verification, both the Air Force and Civil Aviation confirmed that there was no plane crash. The Vietnamese Navy sent ships to the area to inform the fishermen but did not find any traces.

Since 10am, information about the incident was also sent to all neighboring countries, but no country responded.

"Previously, in the MH 370 case, a fisherman reported seeing a large fire circle and then an explosion, but when the forces came to verify, there was nothing. Vietnamese forces are still continuing to verify," said the leader of the Office of the National Search and Rescue Committee.

Director of the Civil Aviation Authority Lai Xuan Thanh said he only heard the news through the press and the Authority is verifying it. However, according to the review of the flight management, Vietnam's FIR has not shown any signs of unusual flights in the past two days. "Vietnam's FIR includes two areas, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, including a section near the edge of the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos. If fishermen see an aircraft in the area as described, it is likely not in Vietnam's FIR," Thanh said.

According to VnExpress