Window Drops off U.S. Chopper Just after Takeoff from Base Near Tokyo

July 29, 2018

Tokyo- A window dropped off a U.S. Navy helicopter just after its takeoff from a military base in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, on Friday, the Japanese Defense Ministry said.

According to the ministry, a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force member witnessed the happening from the base's control tower at around 11:50 a.m. (2:50 a.m. GMT).

The window fell from a helicopter that does not belong to the Atsugi base onto the premises of the base, which is shared by the U.S. military and the MSDF, causing no damage. The window has already been recovered.

The ministry demanded that the U.S. military provide information on the incident, including the type of the helicopter, find its cause and take preventive measures.

"Although there was no damage, it's a big problem," Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters.

Last December, a window fell from a U.S. transport helicopter onto the playing ground of an elementary school near the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma air base in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, leaving a student slightly injured. Jiji Press