Mysterious SDF Helicopter Crash Kills Japanese General

A high ranking Japan Ground Self-Defense Force officer and members of his staff are missing and presumed dead following the crash of their UH-60JA helicopter off Miyako Island on April 6. At present, there are more questions than answers in this case, and the search is ongoing.

A New commander – and a routine inspection gone awry

The crashed helicopter was a UH-60JA– the Japanese variant of the ubiquitous American-made Blackhawk– belonging to the JGSDF 8th Aviation Squadron based at JGSDF Camp Takayubaru. Aboard the helicopter were ten people, four crew and six passengers. The passengers included Lieutenant General Sakamoto Yūichi, commander of the 8th Division, and Colonel Iyoda Masakichi, commander of the SDF garrison on Miyako Island.

General Sakamoto had just taken office on March 30 as commander of the Kumamoto-based 8th Division. The division’s area of responsibility for defense and disaster response extends across both southern Kyushu and into Okinawa Prefecture. It’s an area of geopolitical importance to the Japanese government amidst rising tensions with China.

The general was in the middle of an inspection tour of 8th Division posts and their surrounding terrain. During briefings by JGSDF Chief of Staff Morishita Yasunori, himself new in his position, some reporters have asked why a general would personally be aboard such a flight. But this sort of flight or tour is a routine part of the job for a new commander grasping the lay of the land

En route during this inspection trip, his helicopter suddenly vanished from radar and crashed at 3:56 PM JST in the waters just northwest of Miyako Island, close to neighboring Irabu Island.

No obvious signs of trouble

At the time of the crash, the weather was fine , the helicopter had shown no prior signs of maintenance issues, and had flown extensively, earlier in the day. The pilots had been in contact with air controllers along the way, including those at Shimojishima Airport, the closest control tower. Eyewitnesses along its route, including a retired US Navy sailor visiting the island who caught the helicopter on video, said it didn’t look like anything was wrong.

But answers about this crash have proven hard to come by, despite a growing, round-the-clock search.

SDF units from all 3 branches have been on the scene since shortly after the helicopter’s disappearance, along with vessels of the Japan Coast Guard. Soldiers of the JGSDF, standing on the coast, have been scanning the nearby waters with binoculars. JMSDF vessels on the scene are reportedly using sonar as well as remotely piloted underwater vehicles in seeking out the debris, and most critically the flight data recorder.

More questions than answers

Meanwhile, local fishermen from the vicinity as well as the Okinawa Prefectural Police have since joined the search. The search parties, with personnel now numbering in the hundreds, have recovered some large debris, most notably one of the helicopter’s external fuel tanks, a rotor, and two doors.

As of this writing, the only sign of the crew was one of the pilots’ helmets. There’s been no further sign of any human remains.

Sea currents in the area as well as periods of rough weather have complicated the search. Likewise, coral reefs in the area have made searching the ocean floor harder. As of the 11th, also complicating the search was a sudden SOS signal flashed via signal light from Irabu Island’s north shore. Searchers diverted to that coast, but found nothing. The signal is presently believed to have been a prank.

In the absence of clear answers about this crash, social media rumors abound regarding such a high-profile incident. Given its proximity to Taiwan and the mainland coast, and the activity of Chinese warships in the vicinity, some have been quick to blame China. One representative in the National Diet asked Defense Minister Hamada Yasukazu for comment, to which the minister replied “I’ve received no such news at present.”

Another statement from the Ministry of Defense noted that while there were Chinese naval vessels not far away on the 6th, they were there hours apart from when the helicopter went down, and had no connection whatsoever to the incident.

Whatever the case, a clear answer regarding this accident’s cause remains, as of this writing, elusive. And so does closure for the families of the ten SDF personnel who lost their lives in service to their country.

Sources