US military grounds CH-53E helicopters

October 13, 2017

NAHA, OKINAWA PREF.- US forces in Japan ordered a 96-hour operational pause Thursday morning for all CH-53E transport helicopters stationed in the southern prefecture of Okinawa, after a CH-53E crash-landed in the prefecture on Wednesday.

The measure is designed to "ensure CH-53E readiness and the safe conduct of our aviation community," Lt. Gen. Lawrence Nicholson, commanding general of III Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa, said in a statement.

"We will conduct a thorough investigation working closely with aircrew and maintenance experts to determine the cause of the incident," Nicholson said.

"We will continue to share information with the government of Japan as details become available, while understanding that the investigation must be protected and cannot be released until complete," he said.

He said, "We are in the process of conducting an initial survey at the location to determine the most viable platform and method of aircraft recovery, stressing the importance of safety and protection to the environment."

"After the investigation is complete, those with property damage as a result of this incident will be appropriately compensated," Nicholson said.

In a related move in Tokyo, Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera and Maj. Gen. Charles Chiarotti, deputy commander of US forces in Japan, agreed to suspend flights of CH-53Es until their safety is confirmed.

In Wednesday's accident, a CH-53E deployed at the US Marine Corps' Futenma air station in the Okinawa city of Ginowan, made an emergency landing and burst into flames in the village of Higashi. Jiji Press