In the accident in which a Ground Self-Defense Force helicopter disappeared around Miyakojima Island in Okinawa Prefecture, the Miyakojima Coast Guard Office and the Self-Defense Force continued to search for it on the 8th.
The helicopter disappeared from radar on the 6th about 2 kilometers northeast of the northern tip of Irabu Island, which is connected to Miyako Island by a bridge.
On a hill on Irabu Island, two members of the Self-Defense Forces began searching the sea using binoculars from around 8 a.m. on the 6th.
In addition, it was confirmed that a patrol boat of the Japan Coast Guard was searching and that a U2 rescue and search aircraft of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force was conducting search activities from the sky.
2 minutes before it disappeared from the radar No abnormal communication in communication After that, trouble?
The helicopter was scheduled to fly around Miyakojima after taking off from Miyakojima, but after takeoff, it communicated with the controller at Miyakojima's airport multiple times by radio, and then communicated with the controller at the adjacent Shimojijima airport, according to interviews with officials from the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
Two minutes before it disappeared from the radar, the controller at the airport on Shimojishima Island told him to change the frequency when he entered the jurisdiction, but the helicopter agreed and there was no notification of the abnormality at that time.
This was the last communication with the controller, and the Ground Self-Defense Force believes that some kind of trouble may have occurred in the two minutes after this communication, and is investigating and searching for the crew.