Military helicopter with 3 on board goes missing in Vietnam

Oct 18, 2016 | 5:30 AM

HANOI, Vietnam — A Vietnamese military helicopter with three people on board went missing during a training flight Tuesday, an official and state media said, in the latest in a series of incidents involving military aircraft.

Online newspaper Dan Tri said the Eurocopter EC 130, a light training helicopter produced by Airbus Helicopters, lost contact 15 minutes into the flight and was believed to have crashed into a mountain 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of the southern commercial hub of Ho Chi Minh City.

It said a pilot and two trainees were in the helicopter.

A provincial border guard said smoke was spotted at the suspected crash site, but rescuers have not been able to reach the spot.