Search continues for missing SDF chopper, 10 members off Okinawa

The UH-60JA multipurpose helicopter had been flying on its scheduled route in fine weather and the crew communicated with air traffic control about 2 minutes before it disappeared from radar near Okinawa's Miyako Island, some 10 minutes after take off, GSDF officials said.

The GSDF said it is looking into the possibility that the chopper encountered an unexpected anomaly, such as a defect in the aircraft or a maneuvering error.

The helicopter belongs to a unit under the GSDF's 8th Division based in the southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto. Those onboard included Lt. Gen. Yuichi Sakamoto, the commander of the division.

As the Self-Defense Forces and the Japan Coast Guard search for the missing with patrol vessels and aircraft, several objects, including folded lifeboats, part of a rotor blade, a door and a window frame, have been found in the area where the accident is believed to have occurred, according to the GSDF.

«We will continue to make every possible effort in the search for the 10 missing personnel,» Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada told reporters in Tokyo in the morning.

The helicopter took off around 3:45 p.m. from a base on Miyako Island, and GSDF officials said the local weather was bright with good visibility of over 10 kilometers. The wind was also mild, they said.

The flight was to surveil nearby land features, according to the GSDF. The chopper was originally scheduled to return to Miyako Island at 5:05 p.m.

According to GSDF, the helicopter underwent in late March a special inspection conducted after 50 flying hours.

Located about 400 kilometers east of Taiwan, Miyako Island is home to a GSDF land-to-ship missile unit. It is adjacent to the East China Sea and close to the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, which are claimed by Beijing.