Vietnam Aviation Administration speaks out about lost plane

Regarding the incident of a Malaysia Airlines plane carrying 239 people en route to Beijing that went missing, Mr. Lai Xuan Thanh, Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (Ministry of Transport), said that the plane lost contact at the time of transfer between the Malaysian flight information region (FIR) and the Ho Chi Minh City FIR.

According to Mr. Thanh, the control of the signal was expected to be transferred to the Ho Chi Minh City FIR at dawn this morning, but the plane had not yet contacted the Ho Chi Minh City FIR. Before entering the control area of ​​the Ho Chi Minh City Air Traffic Control Center (ACC), the plane lost all contact and radar signals.

Illustration photo. (Source: Planespotter.net)

“From the time the air traffic control agency on your side announced the transfer to Vietnam, the Ho Chi Minh City Long-Range Air Traffic Management Center did not receive any information about the flight. The Ho Chi Minh City ACC has not yet taken control and immediately informed your side about this situation,” Mr. Thanh said.

Specifically, the aviation radar system did not pick up the flight's signal. The agreed time for the handover between the two sides was 16:50 and the expected time for Vietnam to take over flight control was 17:22 UTC, or 0:22 Vietnam time.

“But right before the time of receiving the transfer rights, we did not receive any aircraft signals and the air traffic control department could not contact the pilot, so we could not exercise control over the aircraft,” Mr. Thanh affirmed.

“Currently, Vietnamese units have agreed on a plan with the Malaysian side and are ready to support you when requested. The latest information will be updated and notified promptly,” said Mr. Thanh.

Previously, on the Government's electronic newspaper, Lieutenant General Vo Van Tuan, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, said that about 1 minute before entering Vietnam's air traffic control area, all contact and radar signals were lost. The exact location of the plane has not yet been determined.

A Malaysia Airlines plane carrying 239 people en route to Beijing lost contact with air traffic control after leaving the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia Airlines said flight MH370 disappeared at 2:40 a.m. local time on March 8 (6:40 p.m. GMT on March 7).

The Boeing 777-200 left Kuala Lumpur after midnight on March 8 and was expected to arrive in Beijing at 6:30 a.m. local time (10:30 p.m. on March 7 GMT)./.

According to VNA