Two Japanese navy helicopters crashed into the Pacific Ocean during a night training flight after a possible mid-air collision, killing at least one of the eight crew members on board.
One body was recovered from the water and later declared dead, while a search operation is underway for the other seven who are still missing.
The two SH-60K patrol planes, each carrying four crew members, lost contact near Torishima Island, about 370 miles (600 kilometers) south of Tokyo, late Saturday.
One of the helicopters was based in Nagasaki. Photo: AP
The cause of the crash is under investigation, but authorities believe it is “very likely” that the two helicopters collided with each other before crashing into the water.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said the flight recorders and wreckage of both planes were found in the same area, indicating they were flying close to each other.
He also said that only one distress call was heard, another sign that the two helicopters were close to each other, because their signals use the same frequency and cannot be differentiated.
Officials will analyze flight data to try to determine what caused the crash.
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Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Ryo Sakai said training will be suspended until the cause of the accident is known.
Search and rescue efforts for the missing crew were expanded on Sunday, with the military deploying 12 warships and seven aircraft.
Coast Guard patrol boats and aircraft also joined the operation.
One helicopter was based in Nagasaki and the other in Tokushima.
Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Ryo Sakai says training has been suspended. Photo: AP
The SH-60K aircraft is typically used on destroyers for anti-submarine warfare, but is also used for search and rescue and other missions.
Japan It has about 70 of the planes.
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Japan, under its 2022 security strategy, has been strengthening its armed forces in Japan’s southwestern islands in the Pacific and the East China Sea to counter the threat posed Porcelain.
The Navy chief of staff said Saturday’s training was part of routine anti-submarine warfare exercises that also involved warships and submarines.
The accident comes a year after a defense forces Blackhawk helicopter crashed off Miyako Island in southwestern Japan due to engine failure, killing all 10 crew members.