Debris found in search for Japanse army copter with 10 crew
World
Only an unused lifeboat whose serial number matched that of the missing helicopter was found
TOKYO (AP) — An unused lifeboat, a door and other fragments believed to be from a Japanese army helicopter were found after the Black Hawk carrying 10 crew members was presumed to have crashed at sea, officials said Friday.
Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada, apparently struggling to hold back tears, told reporters that none of the missing crew members have been found as the search continued Friday.
He said he took the accident seriously and would take all precautious for the safe operations of Self Defense Force aircraft. “We will do our utmost for the rescue of the 10 people who are still missing, while continuing to gather information related to the extent of damage,” he said.
The UH-60JA Black Hawk helicopter disappeared Thursday afternoon while on a reconnaissance mission in Japan’s southern islands, according to the head of the Ground Self Defense Force, Yasunori Morishita.
It disappeared from radar only 10 minutes after departing from a base on Miyako Island and is believed to have crashed into the water between Miyako and nearby Irabu Island to the northwest. The area is about 1,800 kilometers (1,120 miles) southwest of Tokyo.
Coast guard patrol ships found an unused lifeboat whose serial number matched that of the missing helicopter and a door believed to belong to the same aircraft near the presumed crash site, army officials said.
