医療いりょう搬送はんそう用ようヘリコプター3人にん死亡しぼう事故じこで運航うんこう会社かいしゃ調査ちょうさ 運輸うんゆ安全あんぜん委い

On the 6th, a medical transport helicopter carrying a patient was found overturned off the coast of Iki, Nagasaki Prefecture, resulting in the death of three people. On the morning of the 8th, the National Transportation Safety Board entered the helicopters operating company in Saga City to investigate the maintenance status of the aircraft.

On the 6th, a medical transport helicopter carrying a patient from Tsushima Airport in Nagasaki Prefecture to a hospital in Fukuoka City went missing. Later, the aircraft was found capsized on the sea off Iki. Among the six people rescued, an 86-year-old female patient, her 68-year-old son who was accompanying her, and a 34-year-old male doctor died.

<br>On the morning of the 8th, two aviation accident investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board entered S.G.C. Saga Aviation in Saga City, which was operating the helicopter, to investigate the operation and maintenance status of the aircraft.

<br><br>In an interview prior to the investigation, Katsuya Okuyama, an aviation accident investigator, stated that he would coordinate with the operating company regarding the recovery of the aircraft and expressed a desire to recover it as soon as possible.

I think we will probably put it on a ship and transport it to some port, he said.

<br><br>The Transport Safety Board is interviewing the hospitalized captain and others about the situation at the time, and due to the inflation of the flotation device called an emergency float used in emergencies, the incident is currently considered a ditching.

<br><br>In the future, we plan to recover the aircraft and investigate the cause of the accident while checking whether data on speed and altitude remains.

<br>Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism: Take necessary actions based on the investigation results<br>Regarding the recent accident, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Nakano stated in a press conference after the cabinet meeting, I pray for the repose of the deceased and offer my condolences to the bereaved families.

In addition, it was revealed that the Osaka Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism conducted an on-site inspection of the company based on the Aviation Act in August 2024, in connection with another aircraft operated by SGC Saga Aviation that crashed in Yanagawa City, Fukuoka Prefecture in July 2024, resulting in the death of two people.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, during the on-site inspection at the time, they checked the flight plan, the captains duty, and the aircrafts maintenance status, and no issues that could lead to an accident were identified.

In addition, Minister Nakano stated at the press conference, We will issue a warning to operators who operate the same type of aircraft as the one involved in the accident, and based on the investigation results of the Transport Safety Board, we would like to take necessary measures.