TOKYO—Japan's defense minister stated on Monday that an initial examination of flight data recorders found from the wreckage of two Japanese naval helicopters revealed no evidence of technical issues, presumably pointing to human error. Seven of the eight crew members are still being sought after, and one of them has already passed away.
According to Defense Minister Minoru Kihara, the accident was most likely not caused by a mechanical breakdown after an early examination of data from the two flight data recorders on each helicopter revealed no anomalies throughout their flight.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's two SH-60K surveillance helicopters lost communication late on Saturday night while conducting anti-submarine training in the vicinity of Torishima island, some 600 kilometers (370 miles) south of Tokyo, according to officials.
After being pulled from the ocean early on Sunday, a crew member was eventually declared deceased. On Monday, efforts to locate the remaining seven individuals and the aircraft's fuselage persisted. At the accident location east of Torishima, the seafloor is approximately 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles) deep, making recovery a difficult task.
Authorities think that the two helicopters probably flew too near to one other and collided, according to Mr. Kihara.
The proximity of the two aircraft's flight data recorders, a blade from each helicopter, many helmets, and pieces thought to be from both aircraft are indications that the two SH-60Ks fell nearly at the same location, according to authorities.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries adapted and produced the Sikorsky-developed Seahawks, twin-engine, multi-mission helicopters, in Japan. About 70 of the modified Seahawks are in Japan.
The disaster occurs as China's military becomes more muscular, and Japan is preparing for this by accelerating its military building and strengthening its defenses on its southwestern islands in the Pacific and East China Sea as part of its 2022 security policy. Japan has recently carried out joint drills with the United States and other allies in addition to its own large-scale naval exercises.
According to Navy Chief of Staff Ryo Sakai, only the Japanese navy participated in the anti-submarine warfare drill on Saturday night.
Three crew members perished in 2017 when a human mistake caused the previous model SH-60J Seahawk of the Japanese navy to crash during midnight training. A small accident occurred in July 2021 between two SH-60s off the southern island of Amami Oshima; both aircraft sustained blade damage but no casualties.
In response to the accident in 2021, the Navy implemented a series of protocols designed to guarantee sufficient spacing between aircraft. According to Mr. Sakai, if all safety precautions had been properly taken, Saturday's collision may have been avoided.
The United States claims that mechanical breakdown from undetected deterioration after maintenance caused the deadly crash of an MH-60S Seahawk during training off the coast of California in 2021. Navy.
