Two Japanese Navy helicopters crashed into the Pacific Ocean during a night anti-submarine training flight, killing one Japanese Navy sailor and leaving seven others missing.
The two twin-engine helicopters are believed to have collided with each other in the incident south of Tokyo.
A body has been pulled from the water and a search operation is underway to find the whereabouts of seven missing people.
Japanese naval chief of staff Adm. Ryo Sakai said SH-60K training will be suspended until the cause of the accident is determined and preventive measures are taken.
Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara told reporters that two Maritime Self-Defense Force SH-60K helicopters, each carrying a crew of four, lost contact late Saturday near Torishima, about 600 kilometers (370 miles) south of Tokyo.
Contact was lost with one of the men at 10.38pm (2.38pm BST) and an emergency signal was automatically sent a minute later.
Mr Kihara said officials were still trying to determine the exact cause of the crash, but they believed it was “highly likely” the two helicopters collided before plunging into the water.
Mr Kihara said rescuers had recovered a flight data recorder from the crash, as well as blades from each helicopter and debris believed to be from two helicopters in the same area, which were understood to indicate two SH-60Ks. Said flying close to each other.
Only one distress call was heard, Mr. Kihara said, another sign that the two helicopters were near the same location because their signals used the same frequency and were indistinguishable.
Investigators will analyze flight recorder data to determine what led to the fatal collision.
On Sunday, Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force and Air Self-Defense Force deployed 12 warships and seven aircraft to expand search and rescue operations to find the missing sailors. Japan Coast Guard patrol boats and aircraft also joined the operation.
Japan has been building up its military capabilities to counter the threat posed by China’s increasingly assertive military activities. In recent years it has conducted extensive naval exercises of its own and joint exercises with the United States and other partners.
There is no indication that other countries were involved in the incident. Defense Department officials said no foreign aircraft or warships were sighted in the area.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel posted a message on the social platform X that the United States has expressed its willingness to help with search and rescue.
“We will stand side by side with our friend and ally Japan. My thoughts are with the crew, their families and friends during this challenging time.”
A year before the accident, a Self-Defense Forces UH-60 Black Hawk crashed on Miyako Island in southwestern Japan due to an engine output problem (known as “rollback”), killing all 10 crew members on board.
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