On June 16, 2016, a Casa 212 Aviocar (registration 8983) operated by Vietnam Marine Police - Vietnam Coast Guard was involved in an aviation accident near Bạch Long Vĩ Island, Vietnam in flight. 9 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft lost control while cruising over the Gulf of Tonkin. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).
A twin-engine aircraft crashed into the sea near Bạch Long Vĩ Island while conducting a search and rescue operation for a missing fighter jet.
What happened
On a mission to locate a missing Vietnam Air Force Sukhoi SU-30, a crew departed from Hanoi-Gia Lam Airport at 09:30 local time. The flight was operating as a search and rescue mission following the disappearance of a military jet two days prior. While the aircraft was in the cruise phase of flight over the Gulf of Tonkin, it experienced a sudden loss of control. The twin-engine aircraft impacted the ocean surface approximately 22 km southwest of Bạch Long Vĩ Island.
Following the impact, search efforts located various pieces of debris floating on the water's surface a few hours later. The accident resulted in nine fatalities, with no survivors reported among the occupants. The weather conditions at the time of the incident were reported as good.
Findings
The aircraft experienced an uncontrolled descent during the cruise phase of the mission.
Probable cause
The aircraft lost control while cruising over the Gulf of Tonkin.