The President of Vietnam awarded the Order of National Defense to the two pilots involved in the plane crash in Binh Dinh.

The President of Vietnam issued Decision No. 1267/QD-CTN on November 21, 2024, awarding the Order of National Defense to the two pilots involved in the plane crash in Binh Dinh: Colonel Nguyen Van Son, Commander of Regiment 940, and Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Hong Quan, Chief Flight Officer of Regiment 940 (Air Force Officer School, Air Defense - Air Force Command, Ministry of National Defense ).

The decision states that the two pilots were awarded the Order of National Defense, Third Class, for "Outstanding achievements in combat flight training, contributing to the cause of building socialism and defending the Fatherland." The decision takes effect from the date of signing (November 21, 2024).

Previously, on November 6, 2024, the 940th Air Regiment organized a training flight at Phu Cat Airport, Binh Dinh Province. The flight crew, including take-off and landing commanders, pilots, logistics and technical support personnel, and search and rescue forces, successfully prepared and executed the flight mission according to plan. Colonel Nguyen Van Son, Regiment Commander, and Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Hong Quan, Flight Chief of the Regiment, directly conducted the flight crew operating the Yak-130 aircraft with registration number 210D.

Upon completing their mission and returning to the airport for landing, the aircraft experienced a technical malfunction; the landing gear failed to deploy. The pilots promptly implemented emergency procedures to save the aircraft, but to no avail. The flight commander ordered the pilots to parachute. In that brief moment, the aircraft was at a low altitude, falling rapidly, and life-threatening, but the pilots calmly and bravely steered the aircraft away from densely populated areas and parachuted to safety, causing no casualties.

Lieutenant General Pham Truong Son, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, and leaders of Binh Dinh province encouraged and inquired about the health of the two pilots (Photo: binhdinh.gov).

On November 7th, General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense, also sent a letter of commendation and praise to the leaders and commanders of functional agencies at all levels in the Air Defense - Air Force Command for their close guidance and organization of training and combat readiness tasks of the forces; he also commended the Air Force Officer School, Regiment 940, and the officers, staff, and soldiers in the Flight Department for their excellent preparation, close organization of flight command, and timely and flexible handling of emerging situations.

In particular, General Phan Van Giang praised Colonel Nguyen Van Son and Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Hong Quan for their high level of training experience, courage, and determination, demonstrating calmness, confidence, and fearlessness in the face of sacrifice, correctly identifying the opportune moment, and promptly handling unforeseen situations in the air. "This demonstrates the training level, combat readiness of the Air Defense - Air Force forces, and the responsibility to the people and the Fatherland of revolutionary soldiers in the new era," Minister Phan Van Giang emphasized.

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/chu-tich-nuoc-tang-thuong-huan-chuong-bao-ve-to-quoc-cho-2-phi-cong-vu-roi-may-bay-o-binh-dinh-207585.html