LEADING ONLINE DESK: Two Japanese Navy helicopters carrying eight crew members have crashed in the Pacific Ocean south of Tokyo during a night training exercise. One person was killed and seven others were missing, Japan's defense minister said on Sunday.
It is believed that the two helicopters collided during training on Saturday night. There were eight crew members in this helicopter. Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said two SH-60K helicopters of the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF), each carrying four crew members, lost contact late Saturday on the island of Torishima, 600 kilometers south of Tokyo.
Although the cause of the accident is not yet known, the two helicopters may have collided with each other and fell into the water. Rescuers recovered flight data recorders, one blade from each helicopter and fragments from both helicopters in the same area, indicating two Sh-60Ks flying close to each other. Officials will analyze flight data to determine what caused the crash, he said.
MSDF has deployed eight warships and five aircraft to search and rescue the missing crew members. Developed by Sikorsky and known as the Seahawks, these helicopters had twin engines. It was modified and manufactured by 'Mitsubishi Heavy Industries'. They were conducting anti-submarine training in the water at night, Kihara said. He also said that only one emergency call came from the helicopter.
