Helicopter crash in Lan Ha Bay, 5 people injured
According to information from the Propaganda Department, General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army, a helicopter crashed in the border area between Ha Long Bay (Quang Ninh) and Lan Ha Bay (Hai Phong).
The crashed aircraft was a Bell-505, serial number VN-8650 of the Northern Helicopter Company under the Vietnam Helicopter Corporation (Army Corps 18) piloted by Colonel Chu Quang Minh, carrying 4 Vietnamese tourists on a tour to see Ha Long Bay from above, took off at 16:56; lost contact at 17:15.
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Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopter belongs to the Northern Helicopter Company under the Vietnam Helicopter Corporation (Army Corps 18). |
As soon as the aircraft lost signal, the Northern Helicopter Company coordinated with the Border Guard and local military forces to urgently search and rescue. At 19:18, the forces at the scene reported that they had recovered 2 bodies and some debris suspected to be from the aircraft at the shoreline, coordinates 20051'51.2”N-107001'13.4”E.
The Bell 505 is a new generation, light helicopter manufactured by the American company Bell Helicopter in 2018. The aircraft is certified for safety by the US Federal Aviation Administration (US FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EUASA).
Currently, authorities are still actively searching./.