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11:21 JST, April 7, 2025 (updated at 16:30 JST, April 7)
A helicopter was found capsized on the sea likely after an attempt to land on waters off Ikinoshima Island in Nagasaki Prefecture on Sunday afternoon, the Japan Coast Guard Karatsu office announced Monday. The helicopter was transporting a patient from Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture, to Fukuoka, and three of the six people onboard were reported dead.
According to the JCG, a male doctor, 34, a female patient, 86, and a 68-year-old family member of the patient were confirmed to be deceased.
The other three aboard the helicopter who were rescued retained consciousness, though they suffered mild hypothermia, the JCG office said. They are the pilot of the helicopter, 66, a mechanic, 67, and a 28-year-old female nurse.
The accident was first reported to the JCG around 2:50 p.m. Sunday. The helicopter was said to have gone missing off Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture, during its flight from Tsushima Airport to Fukuoka Wajiro Hospital in Fukuoka.
Shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday, the helicopter was found floating on the sea, and the six were recovered and transported to a hospital. At the time, the patient was already dead. The doctor and the patient’s family member were in cardiopulmonary arrest and were later confirmed dead.
The Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry recognized the event as an air traffic accident. The Japan Transport Safety Board will examine the cause of the accident.
The Yomiuri Shimbun A capsized helicopter is seen floating off Ikinoshima Island, Nagasaki Prefecture, at 9:15 a.m. on Monday.
Two air accident investigators were to arrive from the safety board in Fukuoka on Monday afternoon to conduct interviews with the survivors. The JCG Karatsu office also aims to interview the pilot when he recovers, viewing the accident as a possible act of a professional negligence resulting in death.
The helicopter departed Tsushima Airport at 1:30 p.m. and was scheduled to arrive at the hospital in Fukuoka at 2:15 p.m. In safety checks before the flight, no problems were detected in the aircraft.
Because emergency floats were deployed, SGC Saga Aviation Co., the Saga-based company that operates the helicopter, said at a press conference Sunday evening that the helicopter may have tried to land on the water.
