The Japanese navy has located the wreckage of two helicopters that crashed more than three months ago, killing eight crew members. The SH-60K helicopters, each carrying four personnel, were conducting submarine location exercises off the Izu Islands in the Pacific Ocean in April when they collided.
Only one body has been recovered so far, while the other seven were declared dead in June by the Maritime Self-Defense Forces following an extensive search operation. This month, a deep-sea probe by a national research institute led to the discovery of the two aircraft “on the seabed near the site of the crash,” according to a navy statement released Monday. “The seabed investigation is continuing, and we are assessing whether pulling up the bodies of the aircraft will be possible”, it added.
An earlier report from the defence ministry indicated that despite their proximity, the two helicopters “never attempted to avoid each other until the moment of the collision,” suggesting deficiencies in standard lookout procedures. The report also concluded that altitude control of the aircraft was “insufficient”.
The discovery of the wreckage comes just months after a Japanese army UH-60JA helicopter, carrying 10 individuals, crashed off Miyako island in southern Okinawa in April 2023. Tragically, there were no survivors in that incident.
