The Maritime Self-Defense Force has sent an ocean observation ship to trawl the seafloor for the remains of two MSDF helicopters thought to have collided over waters hundreds of kilometers south of Tokyo as officials worked Tuesday to narrow down the cause of the deadly crash.
The crash, which occurred late Saturday during nighttime antisubmarine drills east of Torishima in the Izu Islands, left the two SH-60K patrol choppers’ total crew of eight feared dead as rescue operations involving some 10 ships and five aircraft continued.
According to officials, the Yokosuka-based Shonan ocean observation ship is expected to arrive at the suspected crash site in about a day or two, at the earliest.
The Defense Ministry is still examining what was behind the crash, but the two helicopters were believed not to have been linked by a system that shares the locations of aircraft and other information while they perform maneuvers. The system is designed to deliver a warning sound when aircraft approach each other within a certain distance.
Asked about whether the system had been switched on, MSDF Chief of Staff Ryo Sakai told a news conference Tuesday that he was aware of reports it had been switched off, but he refrained from elaborating amid an ongoing probe into the crash.
“There is still no direct connection between the presence or absence of ‘inter-domain link’ connections and the cause of the collision,” he said, referring to the location sharing system.
While the system can be used for safety purposes, Sakai said it was complimentary to other safety measures typically undertaken by crews.
The ministry has said that data from the flight recorders retrieved from the two helicopters did not indicate any problems with the two aircraft.
Sakai also identified the sole crew member officially confirmed to have died as MSDF officer Yuki Nishihata.
He also identified the seven other missing crew members — the helicopters’ captains, Takuya Matsuda and Kazuki Itamura, and MSDF officers Takafumi Fukudome, Musashi Kai, Natsuki Yamashita, Makoto Hirota and Yusaku Dozono.
Speaking to reporters earlier Tuesday, Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said that a U.S. Navy P-8 patrol aircraft would also join the search in the near future.
“The location where (the helicopters’) communication was disrupted has been identified, and, since the latitude and longitude are known, search and rescue operations are being conducted by Self-Defense Force vessels and aircraft and the Japan Coast Guard with a focus on that area,” he said.
“However, as time goes by, the search area will expand due to the currents, and at such a stage, the operations will be carried out with the support of the P-8 patrol aircraft,” he added.
Locating the wreckage will present a daunting challenge for authorities, with the waters at the crash site around 5,500 meters deep.
Because there are limits to the depths at which sonar and unmanned submersibles can be used to search the seabed, the MSDF decided to deploy the Shonan, its sole ocean observation vessel, which is capable of studying the topography, ocean currents, water temperature and other aspects of the ocean floor at greater depths.
If the remains of the choppers are found, the MSDF is expected to use the data collected by the Shonan to determine whether a salvage operation is feasible.
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