[Accident Report] USAF HH-60 accident on 17 May 2005 in Japan

In the Japanese (Japan) news site Yahoo! Japan News, articles at
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050517/ap/d8a4pmpg0.html
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20050517-00000247-kyodo-soci
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20050517-00000151-kyodo-soci
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20050517-00000121-jij-soci
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20050517-00000020-ryu-oki
http://www.asahi.com/national/update/0517/SEB200505170003.html
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20050518b2.htm
and articles with actual photos at
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20050518-00000019-ryu-oki
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20050518-00000017-ryu-oki
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20050518-00000000-ryu-oki
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050517/481/tok80405171553
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050517/481/tok80305171547
http://www.airforcetimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-855567.php
http://www.okinawatimes.co.jp/day/200505181300_01.html
reported:

On 17 May 2005, about 12:45, an USAF HH-60 SAR helicopter, nose number 6210, made an emergency landing on a farm road near Uegusukujou Castle in northern Kumejima Island, Okinawa Prefecture.
It belonged to the 33rd Rescue Squadron, 18th Wing, USAF, based at Kadena AB, Okinawa Prefecture.
It wasn’t damaged.
Its four crew weren’t wounded.
The site was amongst sugar cane fields, about 1 km north of a prefectural highway. Farmers were working in the fields about 30 m from the helicopter.
It had rotor trouble in the nearby Torishima firing range, and was returning to Kadena AB.
It landed after a gearbox warning light came on in its cockpit instruments.
Mechanics came from Kadena AB, checked the helicopter, and did not complete the inspection by 17 May 2005 evening.
It intended to take off and return to base on 18 May 2005.
Its landing was monitored by radar and visually by the Kumejima JASDF Base. Four to five JSDF personnel came to investigate the event.

On the same day, about noon, another HH-60 also made an emergency landing at Kadena AB.
Kadena AB currently has 10 HH-60s.

In August 2004, another HH-60, based at Kadena AB, made an emergency landing in Tonakijima Island.

On 17 May 2005, about 18:00 and about 23:00, another HH-60 carried US military personnel to the Kumejima JASDF Base.

On 18 May 2005, about 9:49, another US helicopter landed at the Kumejima JASDF Base. About 10:20, ten US military personnel, with parts and tools, went to the mishap helicopter by bus. Four mechanics inspected its rotors.

Local politicians complained, and complained.

Later, articles at
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20050520-00000001-ryu-oki
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20050519-00000017-ryu-oki
and articles with actual photos at
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20050520-00000000-ryu-oki
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20050519-00000018-ryu-oki
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20050519-00000000-ryu-oki
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20050518-00000001-ryu-oki
reported:

On 19 May 2005, US military mechanics continued to change the gearbox on the HH-60, and it did not take off on that day.

Later, articles with actual photos at
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20050521-00000000-ryu-oki
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20050520-00000021-ryu-oki
reported:

On 20 May 2005, about 11:50, it took off, hovered, did safety checks, and flew to Kumejima AP.
About 15:10, it departed Kumejima AP.
About 15:40, it returned to Kadena AB.