Don Chan
April 17, 2005 at 5:25 am

[Accident Report] JASDF accident on 14 April 2005 in Japan

On 14 April 2005, about 13:50, a JASDF MU-2S SAR plane disappeared from radar in the sky near Agamachi, Niigata Prefecture.
It belonged to the Niigata Kyuunantai (Niigata Rescue Squadron), Koukuu Kyuunandan (Air Rescue Wing), JASDF.
The Niigata Kyuunantai sent two SAR choppers with 10 crew members to look for the plane. About 15:15, its wreck was found on a snow-covered slope about 1 km north-northwest of the peak of Mikaguradake (mountain, 1,387 metres).
Its cabin section was covered by snow. Its rear section was broken into two pieces. Its wing-mounted external tanks were found on a ridge near the wreck. It might have hit the mountain top, and fell into the valley. The crash site was near the border between Fukushima and Niigata Prefectures.
About 18:30, its four crew members were confirmed killed; found in the cabin of the wreck, and bodies recovered. Pilot Captain Kawatsu Minoru (32), co-pilot Captain Fujita Hiroshi (32), rescuer Senior Master Sergeant Takayama Kazushi (37), and radio operator Master Sergeant Yamada Kouki (43).
About 13:03, it took off for a training sortie, from Niigata AP, near Niigata City, about 55 km north of the crash site. It was scheduled to RTB after 1.5 hours. This kind of over-land search training sortie was flown every 2-3 days. This flight course was flown every 2-3 weeks.
Its last radio contact wth Niigata AP control tower was about 13:40, and its crew didn’t report any problem. Local weather at about 14:00 was sunny and without strong winds.

The articles also mentioned:
On 19 October 1994, a JASDF MU-2 crashed in Enshuunada (sea), about 20 km south of Atsumi Hantou (peninsula), Aichi Prefecture.
This MU-2 belonged to the Akita Kyuunantai, JASDF. Its four crew members were killed. It was on a test flight after a scheduled maintenance. In the accident report, the cause was unspecified.

In May 1985, at Naha AP, Okinawa Prefecture, a JASDF MU-2 collided with an ANA (All Nippon Airlines) Boeing plane. The ANA plane came from Tokyo and had just landed on the runway.
This MU-2 belonged to the Naha Kyuunantai, JASDF.

The last JASDF fatal accident was in July 2000, when two T-4 trainers crashed in Miyagi Prefecture. Three pilots killed.

http://www.jda.go.jp/jasdf/refs/mu-2/page1.html
http://www.niigata.plo.jda.go.jp/7b-kenmap/kyuunantai/kyunantai.htm
http://www.yuri.sakura.ne.jp/~right/equipment/jasdf/airclaft/rescue/mu-2s/mu-2s.html
have more info and photo about the Mitsubishi MU-2.

I think the Niigata Kyuunantai has two MU-2S and three choppers. One of them, with nose number 226 and tail number 23-3226, wore the JASDF 50th anniversary special paint scheme in 2004, as seen in a photo dated 09-AUG-2004 at
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/ikarashi/365/air_avi/img/20040809_23-3226_0046x.jpg
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/ikarashi/365/air_avi/index_seqo.html
But I don’t know whether this was the one that crashed?

Later, in the Japanese (Japan) news site Yahoo! Japan News, articles at
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20050415-00000297-jij-soci
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20050415-00000132-kyodo-soci
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20050415-00000104-yom-soci
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20050415-00000071-mailo-l15
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20050415-00000039-san-soci
reported: the concerned MU-2S was probably turning left when it hit the slope, and slid down about 90 metres. It was probably flying at low altitude and low speed.
The objective of the SAR training sortie, an orange and white parachute, was set up in a forest about 1 km from the crash site. The concerned MU-2S was probably flying from north to south when it collided with the mountain top.
The concerned MU-2S was commissioned 18 years ago, had about 6,280 flight hours. By regulations, it could fly for 1,300 more hours.

The Niigata Kyuunantai cancelled a farewell ceremony on 15 April for two members who would be deployed to Kuwait. The flag was at half-mast on the pole at the front gate of Niigata AB.

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