In the accident in which a helicopter carrying 10 people, including a division commander of the Ground Self-Defense Force, disappeared near Miyako Island in Okinawa Prefecture, the Self-Defense Forces believe that part of the aircraft may have sunk to the bottom of the sea, and are continuing to search using devices that can detect things on the seafloor using sound waves.
In the accident on the 6th, a Ground Self-Defense Force helicopter disappeared near Miyako Island in Okinawa Prefecture, and 8 people on board, including the commander of the 10th Division, are still missing.
Searches by the Self-Defense Forces and the Japan Coast Guard are continuing around the site, and in addition to the lifeboats installed on the aircraft, doors marked "Ground Self-Defense Force" and rotor blades have been found.
On the other hand, since no part of the fuselage of the aircraft has been found, the Self-Defense Forces believe that it may be sinking to the seabed, so they dispatch minesweepers to the site and search using sonar that can detect things on the seafloor using sound waves.
In addition, regarding this accident, it is known that two minutes before the helicopter disappeared from radar, it was known that the air traffic controller was communicating by radio at the airport on Shimojishima Island on the west side of Miyako Island, but at that time, the helicopter did not notify the abnormality, according to interviews with officials from the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
This was the last time I communicated with the controller, and the Ground Self-Defense Force is investigating the possibility that some kind of trouble may have occurred in the two minutes after this communication.