Many people assisted the Su-22 pilot to land.

Quang Nam People and authorities of Dien Nam Trung ward predicted where the Su-22 pilot landed after parachuting, and were ready to respond.

At 11:04 a.m. on January 9, the Su-22 with serial number 5880, piloted by Do Tien Duc, 36 years old, took off from Da Nang airport to perform a flight training mission of Regiment 929, Division 372, Air Defense - Air Force. 10 minutes later, Captain Duc informed the flight commander that the plane had problems and could not land.

He was ordered to try to get the plane away from the populated area and then parachute. "Captain Duc tried to get the plane away from the populated area and parachute 19 km south of the runway, in Dien Nam Trung commune, Dien Ban town, Quang Nam province," Lieutenant Colonel Doan The Son, Deputy Commander of Division 372, told VnExpress.

Witness to plane crash: 'The explosion shook the whole house' — Su-22 plane crash. Video: *Dac Thanh - Huy Manh - Do Nam*

At this time, many people in Dien Nam Trung and Dien Nam Bac wards, Dien Ban town, were shocked to see the plane swooping low, with white smoke trailing behind. Mr. Nguyen Tri Thanh, 60 years old, was "startled" when he heard a loud explosion in the middle of lunch. Putting down his chopsticks and bowl, he stepped outside, saw the plane about to crash, he ran around the neighborhood shouting "the plane is on fire".

Around him, many people screamed, some carried children and ran away. Next to the column of smoke, many people discovered a yellow parachute that had opened, carrying the pilot out of the plane. Many people guessed where the pilot might have fallen, and rushed to the scene to help.

The pilot landed, his parachute caught in a coconut tree. Photo: Anh Quang — The pilot landed, his parachute caught in a coconut tree. Photo: *Anh Quang*

After a few minutes of flying in the air, the yellow and white parachute fell and got stuck on a coconut tree, the Su-22 pilot landed safely. Many residents and police of Dien Nam Trung ward were waiting, came to help the pilot untie the rope, then took him to a nearby radar station to rest.

"When landing, the pilot was healthy and calm. The parachute stuck in a coconut tree was released and taken away that same afternoon," said a local resident.

About 200 meters from where the pilot parachuted, the Su-22 crashed into a flower garden. Debris was scattered over an area nearly 300 meters long and 100 meters wide, a few dozen meters from houses. The tail of the plane and the engine fell into an empty area between two rows of houses. Many vegetable beds and crops were scorched.

The plane's tail fell into an empty lot between two rows of houses. Photo: Dac Thanh — The tail of the plane fell into an empty lot between two rows of houses. Photo: *Dac Thanh*

"I was afraid that my house would catch fire so I didn't dare go back. I wanted to run into the bamboo bushes to take shelter because there were many flying pieces of debris, but my legs were shaking and I couldn't move," said a woman working in the fields. She said the Su-22 fell vertically and very quickly, not in circles.

The front of the plane fell into the field, creating a large dent, and debris flew everywhere. Some debris hit the walls of houses, leaving cuts; some debris fell to the ground, causing dirt to splash onto the roofs of houses.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hung, 54, was cutting bananas in the backyard when a piece of plane debris hit his head. His wife, Mrs. Phan Thi Tien, 46, was getting water to put out the fire when she saw her husband sitting near the banana bushes, shaking violently and bleeding from his head.

Ms. Phan Thi Tien recounts the moment she witnessed her husband being injured in the plane crash. Photo: Nguyen Dong — Ms. Phan Thi Tien recounts the moment she witnessed her husband being injured in the plane crash. Photo: *Nguyen Dong*

"I asked him if he lit the fire , because I thought he lit the fire and got injured by a mine explosion. But he said he didn't know what happened," Ms. Tien recounted. Mr. Hung was then taken to the hospital for emergency treatment.

The plane crash damaged the tiled roof and collapsed the wall of Mr. Nguyen Thanh Chinh's house in Dien Nam Bac ward, covering an area of nearly 100 square meters. As of last night, Mr. Chinh's house was still blocked off, waiting for the army to come and transport the plane debris from the scene.

Military forces cleared the wreckage of the plane at 5:30 p.m. on September 1. The tail section of the plane was cut apart before being transferred to a specialized vehicle. Photo: Nguyen Dong — Military forces cleared the plane wreckage at 5:30 p.m. on September 1. The tail section of the plane was cut into pieces before being transferred to a specialized vehicle. Photo: *Nguyen Dong*

The Ministry of Defense said the pilot tried to move the plane away from residential areas to minimize damage when the incident was discovered. The Air Defense - Air Force has directed relevant agencies to coordinate with local authorities to investigate the incident.

Nguyen Dong - Dac Thanh

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