Two Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force helicopters carrying eight crew members were believed to have crashed in the Pacific Ocean south of Tokyo during nighttime training, Japan’s defence minister said.
The two SH-60K reconnaissance choppers, carrying four crew each, lost contact late Saturday near Torishima island in the Pacific about 600km (370 miles) south of Tokyo, Defence Minister Minoru Kihara told reporters.
One of the eight crew members was recovered from the waters, but his or her condition was unknown.
The officials were still searching for the other seven.
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The cause of the crash was not immediately known, Kihara said, adding that officials are prioritising the rescue operation.
The MSDF deployed eight warships and five aircraft for the search and rescue of the missing crew, while they have recovered fragments believed to be of the SH-60K, Kihara said.
“We believe the helicopters have crashed.”
The helicopters, a twin-engined, multi-mission aircraft designed by Sikorsky and known as Seahawk, were on nighttime anti-submarine training in the waters, Kihara said.
One lost contact at around 10.38pm after sending an emergency signal. The other aircraft lost contact about 25 minutes later.
The SH-60K aircraft is usually deployed on destroyers for anti-submarine missions.
Saturday’s crash comes a year after a Ground Self-Defence Force UH-60 Blackhawk crashed off the southwestern Japanese island of Miyako, leaving all 10 crew members dead.
In January 2022, an Air Self-Defence F-15 fighter plane crashed off the coast of Japan, killing two crew.