Two Japanese military helicopters crashed during an exercise in the Pacific Ocean last night. Only one crew member was rescued dead, seven other passengers are still missing.
Two Japanese military helicopters with a total of eight crew members crashed over the Pacific during a nighttime exercise, according to the Defense Ministry in Tokyo.
One inmate was rescued but later declared dead, Defense Minister Kihara Minoru said, according to Japanese broadcaster NHK. The seven other crew members are missing. They are being searched for.
Collision as a possible cause
According to the ministry, contact with the two SH-60K marine helicopters was lost on Sunday night. They were therefore involved in an anti-submarine warfare exercise.
The reason for the crash is unknown, Kihara said. The ministry did not rule out that both aircraft, each with four people on board, may have collided in mid-air in an area east of the Izu Islands.
According to Minoru, Japan’s self-defense forces discovered debris floating at sea that is believed to have come from the helicopters. The Izu Islands stretch south of Tokyo in the Pacific Ocean.