Japanese military helicopter goes down at sea, 10 missing

April 11, 2023

A Japanese military helicopter went down off the coast of in the  Thursday. All 10 aboard were reported missing.

The helicopter was a variant of the  belonging to the  (JGSDF); Japanese radar lost it between Miyako Island and, 10 minutes after it flew off from Miyako Island.

Early Friday morning, the found a door, a rotor blade, and an unused lifeboat labeled consistently with the missing helicopter while conducting a search.

Defense Minister said: "We will do our utmost for the rescue of the 10 people who are still missing, while continuing to gather information related to the extent of damage."

Aboard the helicopter were two pilots, two mechanics, and six passengers; one passenger was Lieutenant General Yuichi Sakamoto, a senior JGSDF commander who supervised the.

The JGSDF said the helicopter passed a safety inspection in March.