Japanese UH-1J military helicopter makes hard landing at Tachikawa air base

A Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) UH-1J military helicopter made a hard landing at Tachikawa air base on 21 June.

According to the Scramble Magazine, the UH-1J’s crew escaped uninjured but the venerable Huey was badly damaged.

The UH-1J (UH-1Hs built by Fuji in Japan for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force), assigned to the Eastern Army Aviation Group, was forced to land at 9:57 a.m. during training at Camp Tachikawa, the spokesman said.

The two crew members of the downed helicopter were not injured in the accident, which broke the aircraft in half, the spokesman said.

An aerial photograph of the crash site published by the Yomiuri Shimbun shows the helicopter’s tail separated from its cabin.

Japan’s military is investigating the accident, the spokesman said.

According to the local news, it seems that it failed during the practice of the autorotation landing by the copilot.