Rotor detaching midair possible cause of fatal GSDF chopper crash in SW Japan

The ministry is investigating eyewitness accounts that the main rotor detached midair causing the chopper to nosedive into a residential house in Kanzaki City, Saga Prefecture, with the ensuing fire rapidly gutting the house.

According to Japan's Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, the AH-64D helicopter was on a test flight after having its main rotor head replaced.

The rotors on AH-64D attack choppers need their main rotor heads, which connect the four blades, replacing after 1,750 hours of flight time, Onodera said.

The four-blade, twin-turboshaft attack chopper had also undergone a routine 50-hour inspection.

The chopper took off from the the GSDF's Metabaru Camp located about 4 km from the crash site at 4:35 p.m. local time on Monday and is believed to have crashed into the house during its flight from east to west at 4:43 p.m.

All four residents in the two-story house that was hit by the chopper have been confirmed safe, although an an 11-year-old girl sustained minor injuries when she fled from her home.