Japan Self-Defense Force helicopter missing with 3 pilots

Authorities are urgently searching for the missing helicopter and investigating the cause of the incident.

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter (photo: planespotter)

Japanese media reported yesterday that a training helicopter of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (SDF) went missing with its three crew members.

According to Jiji News Agency, the helicopter took off from an air base in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan at 9:19 (local time) and lost contact with ground control at 11:05. A spokesman for the SDF ruled out running out of fuel, because the fuel was enough for the plane to fly for more than an hour.

Authorities are urgently searching for the missing helicopter and investigating the cause of the incident.

The fate of three pilots in the SDF's combat training group, including a captain in his 30s named Yamamoto, is currently unknown./.

According to VOV