Today afternoon, a tragic incident occurred when a Bell 505 helicopter, registration number VN-8650 and operated by Northern Helicopter Company, crashed into the sea bordering Hai Phong and Quang Ninh.
The helicopter was carrying five people, including the main pilot, Colonel Chu Quang Minh, and four Vietnamese tourists who were on a sightseeing tour of Ha Long Bay from above.
The flight took off at 4:56 PM and lost contact at 5:15 PM. The Northern Helicopter Company promptly coordinated with the Border Guard and local military forces to organize search and rescue efforts. At 7:18 PM, the team at the scene reported that they had found two bodies and some debris suspected to be from the aircraft at the edge of the shore, located at coordinates 20051’351.2″N-107001’13.4″E. The search and rescue team is currently actively searching for the missing person.
Some debris suspected to be from the aircraft founded at the edge of the shore
The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X is a light helicopter that was introduced by Bell Helicopter Corporation of the United States of America at the 2013 Paris Air Show. With only a few designs developed from earlier helicopter models, the Bell 505 series is a completely new design. As of March 2022, about 360 aircraft have been shipped, serving many police and fire departments in the US, as well as the air force, navy and coast guard of 5 countries. Vietnam Helicopter Corporation received two Bell 505s in May 2019.
The Bell 505 is a 5-seater helicopter that can accommodate up to 4 guests, with a maximum flight speed of 232 km/h and a maximum flight altitude of over 5,600 m. The helicopter measures 10.53 m in length, 1.52 m in width, and 3.25 m in height, and is mainly used in tourism for sightseeing flights. This aircraft was added to the fleet of aircraft serving the Ha Long (Quang Ninh) helicopter tour in 2019.
There are several flight services available for tourists, ranging from a 12-minute sightseeing tour with an itinerary of Tuan Chau – Thien Cung Cave – Ga Choi Islet – Titop Island – Bai Tu Long – Reu Island – Tuan Chau, which costs 2.9 million VND per person, to a 40-minute flight tour with panoramic views of the bay, which costs 9.1 million VND per person.
This incident is a tragedy, and our hearts go out to the families of the victims. The cause of the accident is still under investigation, and further information will be released as it becomes available.
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Source: Vietnam Insider