1 killed, 7 missing in Japan as two military helicopters crash
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Officials revealed that the helicopters seem to have crashed during night-time training for countering submarines off the Izu Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
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This undated photo released by and taken from the official website of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force shows a SH-60K chopper. (AP)
Following an accident overnight where two Japanese military helicopters collided and then crashed into the sea, officials revealed that one person died and seven others are missing.
Initially, one person was rescued, however, he was later confirmed dead, a spokesperson for Japan's Self-Defense Force (SDF) who also confirmed the late April 20 incident to AFP, said.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said rescuers "spotted what are believed to be parts of the aircraft in the sea, and we believe that the two helicopters crashed."
"At this point the cause is unknown, but firstly we do our best to save lives," Kihara added.
Kihara then informed reporters hours later that the crew member who was rescued was "confirmed dead."
The ministry "discovered the flight recorders in places close to each other," Kihara said, adding that the "possibility is high that (the two helicopters) collided."
A deeper look into the accident
Officials revealed that the helicopters seem to have crashed during night-time training for countering submarines off the Izu Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
Chief of Staff Ryo Sakai of the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) informed reporters that "The flight recorders are being analyzed" as officials are also interviewing the crew of a third helicopter that was joining the drill, but had no part in the accident.
Broadcaster NHK reported that communication with one chopper was lost at 10:38 pm (1338 GMT) off the island of Torishima, and an emergency signal was received from the same chopper one minute later.
At around 11:04 pm, around 25 minutes later, the military discovered that communication with the other aircraft was also lost in the same area.
MSDF's Mitsubishi SH-60K helicopters are mainly based on and operate from naval destroyers.
NHK added that the MSDF said the involvement of another country in the incident is unlikely as there were no other aircraft or vessels in nearby waters.
Recurring aircraft incidents
In 2019, a pilot died after an F-35A stealth jet crashed into the sea after taking off from northeastern Japan on a training.
Two pilots previously died in January 2022 after a Japanese fighter jet crashed in waters off the central Ishikawa region.
In April last year, a crash off Miyako Island in southern Okinawa of a Japanese army UH-60JA helicopter resulted in the death of all 10 people who were on board.
In the most recent in a series of fatal accidents in Japan, a US-owned Osprey military aircraft crashed off Japan killing all eight people who were on board.
The US military announced on December 6 the grounding of its entire fleet of V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft following the deadly crash in Japan.
Japan has also suspended flights of its own Ospreys, asking the US military to do the same on Japanese territory.
This prompted a decision by the United States the following month to ground the tilt-rotor aircraft worldwide. Japan also grounded its fleet of the same aircraft.
