Overview
- The Japan Transport Safety Board, which issued a progress report Thursday, says the captain ditched after hearing abnormal noise and vibration from the rear of the aircraft.
- Investigators confirmed a fractured control rod that links the pedals to the tail rotor used to steer the helicopter, and they noted a similar failure on the same model in 2007.
- The flight on April 6, 2025 left Tsushima for Fukuoka, ditched off Iki Island minutes later, capsized, and left three survivors and three dead including the patient, a family member, and a doctor.
- The Karatsu Coast Guard is pursuing a criminal probe on suspicion of professional negligence and has searched the operator, S.G.C. Saga Aviation.
- S.G.C. Saga Aviation posted its own interim report with steps such as adding flight‑recording devices and requiring lifejackets, signaling changes that could tighten safety on future medical flights.