Eight MSDF Members Die in Fatal Torishima Island Helicopter Collision
Fatal Torishima Island helicopter crash claims lives of eight MSDF personnel – Obituary
The fuselage of one of the two Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopters that collided over the Pacific Ocean in April has been discovered after an extensive deep-sea search, sources reported on Saturday.
On April 20, two SH-60K helicopters, each carrying four MSDF members, were performing a nighttime anti-submarine exercise over waters east of Torishima Island in the Izu archipelago, south of Tokyo, when they collided, resulting in the deaths of all eight crew members.
A remote-operated deep-sea probe located the helicopter fuselage at approximately 5,500 meters deep during a search operation that commenced earlier in July.
A file photo depicts the Deep Tow, an unmanned probe from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, utilized in the seabed search for the missing helicopters. The photo does not specify the date or location (Photo courtesy of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology)(Kyodo). The probe can operate at depths up to 6,000 meters.
On July 9, the Defense Ministry attributed the collision to crew members failing to maintain a proper lookout.
Fatal Torishima Island helicopter crash claims lives of eight MSDF personnel – Obituary The fuselage of one of the two Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopters that collided over the Pacific Ocean in April has been discovered after an extensive deep-sea search, sources reported on Saturday. On April 20, two SH-60K helicopters, each carrying four MSDF members,…
Fatal Torishima Island helicopter crash claims lives of eight MSDF personnel – Obituary The fuselage of one of the two Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopters that collided over the Pacific Ocean in April has been discovered after an extensive deep-sea search, sources reported on Saturday. On April 20, two SH-60K helicopters, each carrying four MSDF members,…