7 MSDF members declared dead after helicopter crash in April

TOKYO, June 11 (Jiji Press) — The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force said Tuesday that seven crew members who went missing after two MSDF patrol helicopters collided in April have been confirmed dead.

A co-pilot was also killed in the collision near Torishima, a Tokyo island in the Izu chain in the Pacific; his death was confirmed at the crash site.

On April 20, the two SH-60K helicopters lost contact during a nighttime anti-submarine warfare exercise. The MSDF concluded, based on an analysis of the flight recorders, that they collided and crashed into the water.

The MSDF’s search for the helicopters and missing crew members has not found any clues as the water around the crash site is more than 5,000 meters deep.

“The incident occurred during an important and advanced training session. We have been searching for him intensively, but it is very regrettable that we have ended up in this situation,” Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said at a press conference.

(Copyright: The Jiji Press, Ltd.)