Japan’s navy has located the wreckage of two SH-60K helicopters that crashed into the sea more than three months ago, resulting in the loss of eight lives. The helicopters were conducting submarine location drills off the Izu Islands in the Pacific Ocean in April when they collided.
To date, only one body has been recovered, while the other seven crew members were declared dead in June after an unsuccessful search operation. A deep-sea probe by a national research institute that began this month led to the discovery of the two aircraft on the seabed near the crash site.
The navy is currently assessing whether it is possible to recover the wreckage. A defense ministry report earlier this month suggested that the helicopters failed to take evasive action before the collision, indicating potential lapses in standard protocol. The report also found that altitude control of the aircraft was insufficient.
This incident follows another recent helicopter crash in April 2023, when a Japanese army UH-60JA helicopter crashed off Miyako island in southern Okinawa, resulting in the loss of all 10 lives on board.
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