Japan Press Weekly

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2026 March 4 - 10 [US FORCES]

US military chopper makes emergency landing on baseball field in Okinawa while children are practicing

A U.S. UH-1 military helicopter belonging to the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station on March 6 made an emergency landing on a baseball field in Okinawa’s Nago City while a little-league team was there practicing.

Okinawa Governor Tamaki Denny on March 9 announced his intent to issue to the U.S. military as well as to Japan’s Foreign and Defense ministries a request for an investigation into the incident and implementation of measures to prevent a recurrence of emergency landings in residential areas. He said that the occurrence of mishaps that endangers the safety of children is unacceptable.

The Nago City government on the same day pointed out that the emergency landing involving the U.S. military helicopter could have resulted in a catastrophic loss of life, and filed a protest with the Defense Ministry local defense bureau.