47-Minute Delay Cited for Chopper Crash Search in Eastern Japan

August 17, 2018

Tokyo- Search and rescue operations following the crash of a disaster response helicopter that occurred in eastern Japan last week is seen to have started 47 minutes later than they could have been launched, the transport ministry said Thursday.

The helicopter, Haruna, which belonged to the government of the eastern prefecture of Gunma, conducted a flight different from a plan submitted to the ministry in advance, the ministry said, adding that wrong arrival information was also sent to the ministry.

The series of acts may constitute a violation of the aviation law, the ministry said. It believes that the delay of the start of the search and rescue operations was caused by those factors.

Saying that the delay was regrettable, the ministry instructed the prefecture in writing to make sure that it reports accurate flight plans to the ministry and necessary information quickly.

Haruna crashed into a mountain in the Gunma town of Nakanojo on Friday last week, killing all nine people on board.

According to the ministry, the prefecture's disaster response aviation unit notified the ministry of the helicopter's flight plan at 8:53 a.m. Friday, just before its takeoff.

According to the plan, the helicopter was to fly for two hours after leaving a heliport in Maebashi, the capital of Gunma, and return to the same heliport.

Actually, however, the aircraft made a landing at Nishi-Agatsuma Welfare Hospital in the Gunma town of Naganohara, picked up five people and took off again. It was to land at the hospital again and go back to the heliport.

The aviation law requires aircraft landing to be reported to the ministry. But the Gunma government failed to make a report about Haruna's landing.

Furthermore, the prefectural disaster response aviation unit told the ministry's Tokyo airport office around 11:19 a.m. Friday that the helicopter had arrived at the Maebashi heliport although it actually did not reach there.

About 50 minutes later, Tokyo-based Toho Air Service Co., which was operating the helicopter on behalf of Gunma Prefecture, informed the ministry that the aircraft had not arrived at the heliport, and then search and rescue operations were launched, according to the ministry.

Since the prefecture has failed to give a clear explanation on why the incorrect arrival information was made, the ministry will conduct a detailed investigation.

At a press conference in Maebashi on Thursday, officials of the Gunma government offered an apology and said that the prefecture will carry out a probe and submit a report to the ministry as quickly as possible.

A senior Toho Air Service official told the same press conference that the wrong arrival report was made by an employee of the company who has been dispatched to the prefecture's disaster response aviation unit.

The official quoted the employee as saying, "I believed that the helicopter would return to the heliport."

The aircraft's flight plan was submitted to the ministry by the same employee, according to the Toho Air Service official. Jiji Press