Japan asks US to not fly helicopters till crash probe ends

Tokyo: Japan has asked the US military not to fly its HH-60 helicopters until it determines what caused one to crash Monday at a US base on the southern island of Okinawa. Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said on Tuesday that he had conveyed the request to the US military. Information about the crash has been unclear. [caption id=“attachment_1013181” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] The crash site in Japan. AFP.[/caption] On Monday, Onodera said that all four crew members aboard the crashed HH-60 were thought to have survived and one had been taken to the hospital. A US Air Force statement later said the fourth crew member was missing. The HH-60 rescue helicopter, which belongs to Okinawa’s Kadena Air Base, was on an unspecified training mission when it crashed at Camp Hansen. Japan asked for a prompt investigation and preventive measures to avoid future accidents. AP