Search Resumes for Missing Helicopter Near Japan's Mount Aso Volcano
Quick Summary
A search is underway for a sightseeing helicopter operated by Takumi Enterprise that vanished near Mount Aso, one of Japan's active volcanoes, with three people aboard. The Robinson R44 chopper, carrying an experienced 64-year-old pilot and two tourists from Taiwan, was on a brief 10-minute scenic flight when it disappeared. A police helicopter later spotted what appeared to be aircraft parts inside the Nakadake crater, one of Mount Aso's peaks, though it remains unconfirmed if the debris is from the missing helicopter. The search was temporarily paused due to poor weather but has since resumed. In response, Takumi Enterprise has grounded all its helicopters. This incident follows a previous event in 2024 when another of the company's helicopters made an emergency landing near the same volcano, resulting in three injuries. These aerial tours are popular among tourists in the Kumamoto region, despite the volcano's history of activity, including an eruption in 2021.
They're back searching for that sightseeing helicopter again. It vanished around Mount Aso, which is one of Japan's really active volcanoes, and there were three people inside.Takumi Enterprise's...
They're back searching for that sightseeing helicopter again.
It vanished around Mount Aso, which is one of Japan's really active volcanoes, and there were three people inside.Takumi Enterprise's chopper took off from the Aso City zoo at 10:52 AM on Tuesday.
It was meant to be a quick trip, just a 10-minute spin around the amazing volcanic scenery.It never came back.So, a few hours later that afternoon, maybe around 4 PM, a police helicopter saw something interesting.
It looked like airplane parts, just sitting inside the crater of Nakadake.
That's one of the five peaks of Mount Aso.Folks are still trying to figure out if that debris they found is from the chopper that went missing.The pilot was 64, with 40 years of flying under his belt, and he had two people with him a man and a woman who were both from Taiwan.They were flying in a Robinson R44, a helicopter made in the US.The plane was on its third run for the day; the operator said the first two went off without a hitch.Because of the clouds over Nakadake, they couldn't search for a while. They stopped Tuesday night but got back to it pretty early on Wednesday.So, after what happened, Takumi Enterprise has totally grounded all their helicopters. That's what the Jiji news agency is reporting, anyway.Lots of tourists visiting Kumamoto in south-west Japan really go for these helicopter tours.This isn't the first time something like this happened with them around here. Back in 2024, another Takumi Enterprise helicopter had to make an emergency landing close to Mount Aso, and three people got hurt in that one.That volcano is really active; it last blew its top in October 2021, shooting a huge smoke cloud up there. That's one of the five peaks of Mount Aso.Folks are still trying to figure out if that debris they found is from the chopper that went missing.The pilot was 64, with 40 years of flying under his belt, and he had two people with him a man and a woman who were both from Taiwan.They were flying in a Robinson R44, a helicopter made in the US.The plane was on its third run for the day; the operator said the first two went off without a hitch.Because of the clouds over Nakadake, they couldn't search for a while. They stopped Tuesday night but got back to it pretty early on Wednesday.So, after what happened, Takumi Enterprise has totally grounded all their helicopters. That's what the Jiji news agency is reporting, anyway.Lots of tourists visiting Kumamoto in south-west Japan really go for these helicopter tours.This isn't the first time something like this happened with them around here. Back in 2024, another Takumi Enterprise helicopter had to make an emergency landing close to Mount Aso, and three people got hurt in that one.That volcano is really active; it last blew its top in October 2021, shooting a huge smoke cloud up there.