One death has been confirmed after two patrol helicopters of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) crashed over the sea near Izu Islands on Sunday morning, according to the country's defense ministry.
Among the eight members on board, one was reported dead after being rescued, while the remaining seven are missing, Defense Minister Minoru Kihara told the press, citing a possibility that the two aircraft collided in the air on Sunday morning.
In addition, a part of the aircraft, including the blade of the rotary wing, was found around the site, so it was determined that the two aircraft crashed.
The MSDF spotted what is believed to have been helicopter debris during a post-accident search, Kihara added, noting that two flight recorders were found nearby and recovered.
The two SH60K patrol helicopters, each carrying four crew members, disappeared on Saturday night during a nighttime anti-submarine drill in the waters east of Torishima island, part of the Izu island chain, according to the defense ministry.
The two MSDF aircraft lost communication at around 10:38 p.m. and 11:04 p.m. local time, respectively.
A vessel that participated in the drill received an emergency signal one minute after the first helicopter lost communication, according to multiple local media outlets.
The SH60K patrol helicopter has a total length of about 20 meters and a width of more than 16 meters, with 2 engines and a crew of 4 people, the MSDF website showed.
Equipped with a dedicated device for detecting submarines, it is mainly mounted and operated on escort ships.
In April last year, 10 people died after a UH60JA helicopter of the Ground Self-Defense Force crashed into the sea in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture.
Amtrak train hits pickup truck in upstate New York, 3 dead including child
Blake Lively says she dreamed up husband Ryan Reynolds as she promotes their new animated film IF
Burglar hurled stolen mobile phones at police from the top of 60ft high roof during nine
Ellie Leach breaks down in tears over her cheating ex
'It's Rory Delass!' Republic of Ireland's Megan Campbell wows fans with her catapult 38
Bridgerton fans are all saying the same thing about season 3's costumes as new trailer drops
Justin Timberlake set to bring his The Forget Tomorrow World Tour to Australia in 2025
A warrant for Netanyahu’s arrest was requested. But no decision was made about whether to issue it
Scary Movie is back! Franchise will be rebooted 11 years after Scary Movie 5 was released