February 19, 2016
A U.S. military aircraft has accidently dropped an object again on private land.
A UH-60 helicopter assigned to U.S. Army Camp Zama in early February dropped a 60cm-square/5mm-thick acrylic window while in flight over forests near an expressway exit in Yamanakako Village in Yamanashi Prefecture.
Japanese Communist Party members of the House of Representatives Hatano Kimie and Saito Kazuko on February 17 urged the Ministry of Defense to demand that investigations be conducted to determine the cause of the incident and that measures be taken to prevent a recurrence.
In response, a defense official said that the ministry already made a request to the U.S. forces to that effect, and that the government will give information to local municipalities as soon as it is provided with the details.
Accompanying the two Dietmembers, JCP candidate for the Yamanashi constituency in the Upper House election Miyauchi Gen said, “Roads around the site have heavy traffic on weekends and holidays. This could have caused a catastrophe. The U.S. Army should suspend its aircraft flights until the cause is identified.”
A local resident said to Akahata, “I cannot sleep in peace when helicopters are circling over my head. I want all military aircraft to stop flying above residential areas.”
Past related articles:
> US helicopter drops blank ammo rounds on schoolyard in Shizuoka [July 23, 2015]
> Osprey again drops a part by accident [March 17, 2015]
> Okinawa JCP protests against US military aircraft’s drop incidents
[February 25, 2015]
A UH-60 helicopter assigned to U.S. Army Camp Zama in early February dropped a 60cm-square/5mm-thick acrylic window while in flight over forests near an expressway exit in Yamanakako Village in Yamanashi Prefecture.
Japanese Communist Party members of the House of Representatives Hatano Kimie and Saito Kazuko on February 17 urged the Ministry of Defense to demand that investigations be conducted to determine the cause of the incident and that measures be taken to prevent a recurrence.
In response, a defense official said that the ministry already made a request to the U.S. forces to that effect, and that the government will give information to local municipalities as soon as it is provided with the details.
Accompanying the two Dietmembers, JCP candidate for the Yamanashi constituency in the Upper House election Miyauchi Gen said, “Roads around the site have heavy traffic on weekends and holidays. This could have caused a catastrophe. The U.S. Army should suspend its aircraft flights until the cause is identified.”
A local resident said to Akahata, “I cannot sleep in peace when helicopters are circling over my head. I want all military aircraft to stop flying above residential areas.”
Past related articles:
> US helicopter drops blank ammo rounds on schoolyard in Shizuoka [July 23, 2015]
> Osprey again drops a part by accident [March 17, 2015]
> Okinawa JCP protests against US military aircraft’s drop incidents
[February 25, 2015]
