Second US military helicopter makes emergency landing in Okinawa
It came down safely at a waste disposal site, about 250 metres away from a hotel in the village of Yomitan
A US military helicopter with two crew members aboard made an emergency landing in Okinawa Prefecture, local police said on Monday, just two days after a similar incident in the southern Japanese island prefecture.
No one was believed to be injured after the helicopter landed at a waste disposal site, about 250 metres away from a hotel in the village of Yomitan.
The US military said the AH-1 attack helicopter belonging to US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in the prefecture made a precautionary landing, according to the police.
The latest incident is likely to further increase public anxiety about the huge presence of the US military in Okinawa which hosts the bulk of US military bases in Japan.
The prefecture has seen a series of accidents and mishaps involving US military aircraft, leaving local residents concerned about their safety.
“There will be more incidents unless we remove US military bases” from Okinawa, Kazumi Nakasone, a 67-year-old local resident living near the scene, said.