January 15, 2022

A U.S. military helicopter on January 13 made an emergency landing at a municipal-run heliport on Tonaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture.

The AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter deployed to the U.S. Futenma base (Ginowan City, Okinawa) on the night of January 13 made a forced landing at the Tonaki Village-run heliport on Tonaki Island. The chopper on the afternoon of the following day departed the island after completing needed repairs.

The U.S. military via the Japanese Defense Ministry’s local bureau explained to the Okinawa prefectural government that the helicopter pilot detected an oil pressure problem and made an emergency landing as a precaution.

Okinawa Governor Tamaki Denny on January 14 at a press conference stressed that whenever a U.S. military’s emergency landing incident occurs, it creates fear and unrest among local residents as the incident could turn into a serious event posing threats to people’s lives and properties. He said that the prefectural government urged the U.S. forces to determine the cause of the latest forced landing incident and to take effective measures to prevent a recurrence and to implement thoroughgoing safety management measures.