A Bell 505 helicopter crashed near Vietnam’s Halong Bay, resulting in the death of two people and leaving three others missing. The aircraft, with one pilot and four Vietnamese tourists onboard lost contact only five minutes after taking off for a flight over the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Northern Vietnam Helicopter Company began flying tourists over Halong Bay’s famous limestone karst rock formations in 2019 with a 10-minute ride costing up to $120 per person. The lightweight Bell 505 helicopter is manufactured by US firm Bell Helicopter. Vietnam’s civilian aviation sector has a strong safety record, but accidents involving military aircraft are more common.