Helicopter Keeps on Falling

Helicopter can falls not only on Okinawa, the islands dense with a number of military bases, but on a house of ordinary citizens in Kyushu. An AH-64D attack helicopter affiliated to Japan Ground Self-defense Force fell on a residential area of Kanzaki city, Saga, in Monday evening, causing a death of a crew and injury of a girl in the house. Being afraid of loss of credibility or sharp criticism, Ministry of Defense decided to stop operation of the same type of helicopter.

The crushed helicopter was deployed in Metabaru Camp in Yoshinogari town. The accident occurred during a test flight right after regular inspection required every 50 operational hours. The helicopter crushed 8 minutes after its take-off, leaving last communication to the ground control 5 minutes before the accident. MoD focuses on what had happened in the last 5 minutes.

The helicopter was in its flight right after changing a transmitter between engine and main rotor. In the maintenance manual of GSDF, that part has to be changed every 1,750 flight hours. Although there was no report of inconvenience, the ministry would investigate whether the change of the part caused the crush. As the body of the helicopter was found in a broad area, it is supposed that it had crushed in the air.

One of the residents witnessed the helicopter torn apart in two in the air after huge sound of explosion. Another saw the helicopter hit its head to the ground. A military expert analyzed that it had completely lost its control after explosion in the main rotor. It must have lost its power as far as it vertically fell down to the ground with smoke exhaled from the engine.

The crush gave Shinzo Abe administration a serious shock. “It is very regrettable that Self-defense Force, which is expected to protect people’s life and peace, has threatened safety of the residents and caused a great damage,” Abe apologized in the discussion of the Diet on Tuesday. Minister of Defense Itsunori Onodera promised detailed investigation on the cause of accident and preventive measures, saying “We will make our best in compensation to the injured child and others suffering from the fire.”

It became the fourth fatal accident of SDF in FY 2017. What can be supposed is that the SDF personnel are under hard pressure of improving their skill. Abe administration is enthusiastic in enhancing SDF capability, as seen in introduction of new equipments like ground-based Aegis system. Constant fatal accidents will lose public credibility of SDF, which is indispensable for its existence.