A Vietnamese military training aircraft crashed in a mountainous area of Dak Lak Province on Wednesday morning, but the pilot escaped safely.

The YAK-130 aircraft was on a routine training flight when it developed a technical problem mid-air, according to the Ministry of National Defense.

The jet took off at 7:27 a.m. Pilots lost contact with the aircraft at 7:44 a.m. after the malfunction occurred.

Despite efforts to regain control, the pilot was unable to stabilise the aircraft.

Pilot ejects safely

The pilot, First Lieutenant Dinh Thanh Trung, steered the jet away from residential areas before ejecting at a safe location. He landed without serious injuries and was assisted by local residents. He was later taken to the hospital, where doctors said his condition is stable. First Lieutenant Trung serves with Air Regiment 940 under the Air Force Officer College of the Air Defense Air Force Service.

Crash site and response

The aircraft crashed into Hon Vinh Mountain in Dong Hoa Ward, a remote area with no nearby homes. There were no civilians injured or property damage reported by the authorities.

After the crash Search and recovery teams started the operations in area, cleaning and work in area was in process.