US navy copter crashes in Japan

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December 17, 2013

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US navy copter crashes in Japan

Source: AFP | December 17, 2013, Tuesday |

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A US navy helicopter crashed near Tokyo yesterday in a failed emergency landing, injuring two of the four men on board, rescuers said.

Television footage showed the grey helicopter on its side on what appeared to be vacant land, with mangled propellers and a snapped tail-end.

The accident came at a sensitive time, with the Japanese public wary over the long-planned but stalled relocation of a US base in southern Okinawa.

Around half of the 47,000 US service personnel in Japan are based on the strategic island chain, which is nearer to China’s Taiwan than it is to Tokyo.

Accidents, crime and noise associated with the bases make them unpopular with locals, although Japanese people as a whole welcome the US defense umbrella they help to provide.

The crash happened mid-afternoon in Miura city, roughly 60 kilometers south of Tokyo, said a fire department spokesman.

One crew member told authorities the helicopter experienced a transmission problem, national broadcaster NHK said.

“One person broke a thigh. Another person suffered a contusion on his thigh. The remaining two apparently escaped any injury,” he said.

There was no fire and the rescue operation ended quickly. The injured men were taken to a civilian hospital in neighboring Yokosuka, home to a major US naval base.

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US navy copter crashes in Japan

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