Relatives of Su-22 pilot: 'Come home Tri, the orchids are blooming'
"Come back, Tri! Our orchids are blooming beautifully, you can't... I don't believe it...", a relative of the Su-22 pilot said.
Hanoi at noon on July 26, the sky looked like it was about to rain. Khuat Nguyet Minh - a female news reporter for VTV - received information that a fighter plane crashed in Nghe An, killing two pilots.
Anyone who has worked as a news reporter understands Minh's feelings at that time: both heartbroken and trying to stay calm to verify the news.
"Unexpected news"
Nguyet Minh picked up the phone and immediately called Lieutenant Colonel Khuat Manh Tri, Deputy Commander of Air Force Regiment 921, Division 371. Lieutenant Colonel Tri is Minh's cousin, also an experienced pilot whom she often contacts when receiving news of aviation incidents.
On the other end of the line, there was only a voice: “The subscriber you just called…”
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| On the afternoon of July 26, during a training flight, Su-22U aircraft numbered 8551 of Air Force Regiment 921 (Division 371, Air Defense - Air Force) lost contact. The fighter plane was later found crashed in Dua village, Nghia Yen commune, Nghia Dan district, Nghe An province. Photo:P. Hoa. |
"In my career, I have handled a lot of aviation accident information. Every time I called Mr. Tri to consult, but I never expected that the victim in this news report would be him," Nguyet Minh choked up as she shared withZing.vn.
Not long after, the Ministry of National Defense issued an announcement stating that two pilots in the Su 22 fighter jet crash had died, including Lieutenant Colonel Khuat Manh Tri (born in 1978, Deputy Regiment Commander, Chief of Staff, from Son Tay town, Hanoi city) and Senior Lieutenant Colonel Pham Giang Nam (born in 1972, Flight Commander of Regiment 921, from Thai Thuy, Thai Binh).
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| Text messages between Lieutenant Colonel Tri and reporter Nguyet Minh in 2016, when two Su-30 and CASA-212 aircraft of the Vietnam Air Force crashed at sea. Photo:NVCC. |
According to Nguyet Minh, Tri is her uncle's son but is loved by her parents as their own son. The female reporter also considers Lieutenant Colonel Tri as her brother.
After finishing high school, Tri was accepted into Hanoi University of Science and Technology. A week later, he received news that he was accepted into the Air Force Academy.
"His father was a former prisoner of war in Con Dao, tortured and released in 1973. He wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, so he dropped out of the Polytechnic University to enter the Air Force Academy and learn to fly fighter planes," Nguyet Minh said.
Mr. Tri was a good student and always ranked at the top of his class. After training, he became a fighter pilot of the Air Defense - Air Force.
The soldier loves orchids
His father died early, Tri was the only support of his mother and younger sister.
The pilot quickly mastered his flying skills and was always considered to have potential. He first flew in Nha Trang, then moved to Bac Giang, and finally worked at Noi Bai.
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| Pilot Khuat Manh Tri with his family. Photo:Family provided. |
Recently, Mr. Tri has participated in flight training for students in Nha Trang, Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen... He always reminds other students to be careful and master flight safety rules.
"In addition to being friends with the sky, he also has a hobby of taking care of orchids. He has a whole orchid garden in his yard," Nguyet Minh shared.
A friend who heard of his death posted a message on his Facebook: "Come home, Tri! Our orchids are blooming beautifully, you can't... I don't believe it...".
"Tri doesn't share much information about his job with his family because he's afraid that the nature of his job will make everyone worry. He always says that he will have to do his job better and better," Nguyet Minh said.
The cousin also expressed on behalf of the family the wish to bring Tri's coffin back to Hanoi to hold the funeral.
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| Lieutenant Colonel Khuat Manh Tri's personal page is filled with pictures of orchids grown by himself. Photo:FBNV. |
Lieutenant Colonel Khuat Manh Tri has a wife and two children. His wife currently works at the post office in Son Tay town. The two children (a boy and a girl) are both very young.
The pilot in command was often away from home. The two children had little time with their father. Relatives said he always spoke to his wife before takeoff.
On July 26, during a training flight, Su-22U aircraft, serial number 8551 of Air Force Regiment 921 (Division 371, Air Defense - Air Force) conducted a training flight and lost contact at 11:35.
The wreckage of the crashed plane was found in Nghia Yen commune, Nghia Dan district, Nghe An province.
After the incident, the Ministry of National Defense directed the Air Defense - Air Force to coordinate with relevant units in the area to organize rescue, search and rescue, and overcome the consequences.
Two training pilots died, including Lieutenant Colonel Khuat Manh Tri, Deputy Regiment Commander, Chief of Staff, born in 1978; hometown: Le Loi ward, Son Tay town, Hanoi city; Senior Lieutenant Colonel Pham Giang Nam, Flight Commander of Regiment 921, born in 1972; hometown: Thuy Binh, Thai Thuy, Thai Binh.
Share withZing.vnColonel Nguyen Thanh Trung, a former military pilot, said he was surprised and heartbroken to hear of the deaths of his two comrades.
"Training a military pilot is very difficult and time-consuming, while they are all experienced pilots with many flying hours and are valuable assets of the Ministry of National Defense," said Mr. Trung./.
