U.S. helicopter makes emergency landing on Chigasaki beach

A U.S. military helicopter made an emergency landing on a beach in Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Thursday, with no reports of injuries or damage to the aircraft.

The aircraft — an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter that belongs to the Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron at U.S. Naval Air Facility Atsugi — landed at around 11:06 a.m., according to base spokesperson Gregory Mitchell. He added that three individuals were on board.

At around 11:20 a.m., the fire department received a call that a helicopter made a “precautionary landing” on a beach in the city. The helicopter resumed flight at around 3 p.m.

The fire department, along with the U.S. Navy’s Atsugi base, are continuing to probe the incident. Mitchell confirmed that the landing was “precautionary” and that no one was injured, adding that the cause of the incident is under investigation.

Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told reporters that he has instructed officials to gather information “swiftly and thoroughly.”

“When operating U.S. military aircraft, the foremost priority is ensuring safety,” He said. “We will continue to call for thorough safety management.”

In footage taken by NHK at around noon, the U.S. military helicopter is seen on a beach with the word “NAVY” visible in English on the aircraft.

Nearby, local firefighters can be seen speaking with individuals likely to be crew members.