The remains of a sightseeing helicopter that disappeared near an active volcano in Japan have been located. Authorities searching the volcanic terrain of Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture found what seemed to be an aircraft near the first crater of Nakadake. Subsequent confirmation revealed that it was indeed the missing helicopter, as reported by Japanese media.
The helicopter, carrying two Taiwanese tourists and a Japanese pilot, vanished around 11am local time while touring the area. After hours of search efforts, a police helicopter spotted the wreckage at approximately 4.10pm. Takumi Air, the helicopter’s operator, received a distress signal from the aircraft, prompting the alarm. Shortly after, the fire department was notified of an impact on a smartphone linked to one of the passengers onboard.
Near the crater, a security guard recalled hearing a sound coinciding with the helicopter’s disappearance, according to the Aso Mountaintop Office. The helicopter was supposed to land at Mount Aso by 11.10am after departing from Cuddly Dominion, but when it failed to arrive, a rescue operation was initiated by the tour agency. Multiple helicopters, including those from the police and firefighting units, were dispatched for the search, with the Japan Self-Defense Forces also joining the air search, as stated by Kumamoto Prefecture Governor Takashi Kimura.
Despite no recent significant volcanic activity, heavy fog hindered the search due to signals from the aircraft being detected. The passengers were identified as a 41-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman from Taiwan, along with a 64-year-old Japanese male pilot, according to Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun.
Mount Aso, Japan’s second-largest active volcano, is believed to have originated from four massive eruptions spanning approximately 300,000 to 90,000 years ago. Mount Nakadake, one of the volcano’s peaks, features seven craters, including an active crater, known as crater one, measuring 600 meters in diameter, 130 meters deep, with a circumference of around 4 kilometers.
