Tokyo, Oct 10: A US military helicopter made an emergency landing on Thursday at a beach in Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture near Tokyo, with no reports of injuries or damage to the aircraft, local media reported.
According to the US Navy, the helicopter, with three crew onboard, made the landing at around 11:05 a.m. (local time) as a precautionary measure after detecting irregularities, reports Xinhua, quoting Kyodo News.
The helicopter resumed flight at about 3:05 p.m. (local time), the report said. The US Navy did not provide further details, including the cause of the irregularities, saying the incident is "still under investigation," it added.
The aircraft, an H60 helicopter, belongs to the US Atsugi base in Kanagawa Prefecture, the Japanese Defense Ministry said.
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said that the ministry has dispatched an official to gather information at the site, adding that he has urged the US side to ensure thorough safety management.
The incident followed an emergency landing in August by a US Navy helicopter in a rice field in Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture.
