The Ground Self-Defense Force said Friday it will partially resume flights of its helicopters at a camp in Saga Prefecture, southwestern Japan, following a deadly accident involving one of the choppers earlier in the month.
The GSDF will resume from next Thursday the operations of helicopters at Metabaru Camp, except for the same type of aircraft involved in the accident -- an AH-64D attack helicopter. It also said its helicopters will not fly over the accident-hit residential area.
Lt. Gen. Goro Yuasa, commander of the GSDF's Western Army, conveyed the plan to Saga Deputy Gov. Yoshihiko Soejima the same day. Soejima called on the GSDF to get to the bottom of the Feb. 5 accident, provide information and thoroughly check the aircraft.
The Western Army said in a press release that it has been working since Feb. 5 to establish the safety of its helicopters at Metabaru Camp, such as through checkups and education on crews.
The GSDF also said the same day it has finished retrieving nearly all of the parts of the AH-64D that crashed into a home in Kanzaki, Saga Prefecture. The pilot and co-pilot died in the accident, while a girl was slightly injured when she fled the home.
The crash site was about 8 kilometers away from the point where flight controllers lost communication with the crew members. GSDF members had been searching for the parts that were scattered in the area.
