U.S. helicopter makes emergency landing on beach in Kanagawa

A U.S. military helicopter with three crew onboard made an emergency landing Thursday at a beach in Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, with no injuries reported, the U.S. Navy said.

The helicopter made the landing at around 11:05 a.m. as a precautionary measure after detecting irregularities, according to the U.S. Navy. The aircraft belongs to the U.S. Atsugi base in Kanagawa Prefecture, the Japanese Defense Ministry said.

The helicopter left the beach at about 3:05 p.m. and safely returned to the base at around 3:15 p.m., a public affairs official of the Naval Air Facility Atsugi said.

The official did not provide further details, including the cause of the irregularities, saying the incident is "still under investigation."

Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told reporters he will request U.S. forces to ensure thorough safety management.

He said the ministry has dispatched an official to gather information at the site, which is about 1.6 kilometers southeast of JR Chigasaki Station.

The incident followed an emergency landing in August by a U.S. Navy helicopter in a rice field in Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture.

© KYODO