Navy helicopters crash in the Pacific Ocean, one dead

TOKYO (AP):

Two Japanese navy helicopters carrying eight crew members crashed in the Pacific Ocean south of Tokyo during night-time training in a possible collision, leaving one dead while rescuers on Sunday searched for seven others missing, the defence minister said.

The two SH-60K choppers from the Maritime Self-Defense Force were carrying four crew each and lost contact late Saturday near Torishima island, about 600 kilometres (370 miles) south of Tokyo, Defence Minister Minoru Kihara told reporters.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known, but officials believe the two helicopters “highly likely” collided before crashing into the water, Kihara said.

The navy chief of staff, Admiral Ryo Sakai, said training involving the SH-60s will be suspended until the cause of the crash is determined and preventive measures are adopted.

Rescuers recovered a flight data recorder, a blade from each helicopter, and fragments believed to be from both choppers in the same area, signs that the two SH-60Ks were flying close to each other, Kihara said.

Search-and-rescue efforts for the missing crew were expanded on Sunday with the deployment of 12 warships and seven aircraft. Japan coast guard patrol boats and planes also joined the operation.

US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel offered his country’s help with the search and rescue.

“We will stand together, side by side, with our friend and ally, Japan. My thoughts are with the crew members, and their families and friends during this challenging time,” he wrote on the social platform X.

The twin-engine, multi-mission helicopters developed by Sikorsky and known as Seahawks were modified and produced in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. They were on night-time anti-submarine training, Kihara said. One lost contact at 10:38 p.m. and sent an automatic emergency signal a minute later.

Only one distress signal, called an emergency locator transmitter, was heard — another sign the helicopters were near the same place, because their signals use the same frequency and could not be differentiated, Kihara said.

One helicopter belonged to an airbase in Nagasaki, and the other to a base in Tokushima prefecture. Officials were interviewing the pilot of a third aircraft that also participated in Saturday’s training, Kihara said.

The SH-60K aircraft is usually deployed on destroyers for anti-submarine warfare, but is also used for search and rescue and other missions. Japan has about 70 of the modified helicopters.

Saturday’s training only involved the Japanese navy and was not part of a multinational exercise, defence officials said.