A Ground Self-Defense Force helicopter that crashed Monday into a home in Kanzaki, Saga Prefecture, made its last contact with a ground controller about five minutes prior to the crash, GSDF sources said.
Multiple parts were found to have dropped from the AH-64D attack helicopter during the flight, according to the sources. The GSDF is investigating the cause of the incident, looking at the possibility that main parts of the chopper were broken.
The body of Hiroki Takayama, a 26-year-old master sergeant and copilot of the chopper, was discovered Monday evening. An 11-year-old girl who lived in the house suffered a minor injury.
On Tuesday morning, the GSDF and Saga prefectural police discovered parts of a body presumed to be that of Lt. Col. Kenichi Saito, the aircraft's 43-year-old captain. They began an on-site investigation on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death and violations of the Law on Punishment of Acts to Endanger Aviation.
The attack helicopter left the GSDF's Camp Metabaru -- its home base -- in Yoshinogari in the same prefecture at about 4:36 p.m. on Monday, according to the GSDF. It flew normally on a route over the base and at about 4:38 p.m., the crew conveyed its current position and expected route to the base's ground controller without any abnormalities.
However, the ground controller was visually able to confirm that the chopper was falling with its nose down after flying toward a point just outside the control zone. The controller called the aircraft at about 4:43 p.m. but apparently received no response.
The helicopter was conducting a test flight following maintenance work required after every 50 hours of flight, the Defense Ministry said Monday night.
Apart from this maintenance, the GSDF conducted work including replacing the main rotor head, a part installed at the foot of a main rotor to transmit the engine's power to the rotor, according to the GSDF. It was the helicopter's first replacement of its main rotor head, as it is normally replaced about every 1,750 flight hours.
About 10 pieces -- including plate-like parts roughly 1 meter wide and long -- were scattered in an area 200 to 300 meters east of the crash site. A metal piece that looked as if it had been torn apart was also found about 500 meters from the site.
If a helicopter loses such parts as rotors, it may dive rapidly in the direction it was flying, according to a veteran SDF helicopter pilot.
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