2026 Mount Aso helicopter crash

2026 Mount Aso helicopter crash

Robinson R44 Raven II, the same aircraft type of JA10KE
Accident
Date	January 20, 2026 (2026-01-20)
Summary	Controlled flight into terrain; under investigation
Site	Mount Aso, Kyushu, Japan 32°53′08″N131°05′15″E / 32.8855556°N 131.0875°E / 32.8855556; 131.0875
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Robinson R44 Raven II
Operator	Takumi Enterprise
Registration	JA10KE
Flight origin	Cuddly Dominion
Destination	Cuddly Dominion
Occupants	3
Passengers	2
Crew	1
Missing	3

On January 20, 2026, a Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter on a sightseeing tour crashed inside Mount Aso. All three onboard, including two Taiwanese tourists and the pilot, remain missing. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} This is the second incident of an aircraft crashing inside a volcanic crater, following the helicopter crash at Mount Kilauea volcano in November 1992. ^{[5] [6]}

Background

Aircraft

The aircraft JA10KE, a Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter owned and operated by Takumi Enterprise (匠航空株式会社), was conducting local sightseeing flights of the Mount Aso area for the Cuddly Dominion (阿蘇カドリー・ドミニオン), the zoo in Kyushu, Japan.

Passengers and crew

There were 3 people aboard the helicopter: 2 passengers and 1 pilot. Those two passengers were a married couple from Taiwan, identified as a 41 year-old male and 36 year-old female. The pilot was identified as a 64 year-old male, who had 36 years flight experience. ^{[7] [8] [9] [10]}

Company

The helicopter was operated by Takumi Enterprise (匠航空株式会社), founded in 2001. The company's main business includes sightseeing flights and humanitarian rescue operations such as supporting disaster-stricken areas, rescue missions, and medical transportation.

The company has also faced scrutiny regarding its safety. Prior to this accident, there had been five other incidents, including a tail-strike, a fuel emergency, and a technical malfunction. On May 13, 2024, a Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter, the same model as the one involved in this accident, made a crash landing due to engine failure, resulting in serious injuries to three people. ^{[11] [12] [13]}

Accident

On January 20 at 10:52 a.m. JST, the helicopter took off and was en route for the local sightseeing flights of Mount Aso. The 3 occupants included 2 Taiwanese tourists and the pilot, all of whom went missing during the flight. Meanwhile, one of the tourist's iPhone began sending SOS request automatically via Apple Emergency SOS due to the amount of G-force detected by the device around 11:04 a.m. JST. ^[14]

Search and rescue

On 20 January, the Kumamoto police force succeeded to find a crashed helicopter in the afternoon. However, the rescue was halted due to ground freezing, volcanic gases and strong winds on Mount Aso. As of January 22, rescue operations could not begin after the accident and have been postponed to January 23. ^{[15] [16] [17]}

On January 23, three days after the accident, the fire department, the Self-Defense Forces, Aso City and other relevant departments held a meeting at 10:00 a.m. JST to discuss future search methods. ^{[18] [19]} However, the meeting did not determine specific rescue methods or a timetable. A fire department official indicated that the rescue operation could take a considerable amount of time. ^[20]

References

1. "Tourist attraction turns tragic after chopper crash inside Mt. Aso crater in Kyushu". Mainichi Shimbun . January 21, 2025. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
2. "熊本ヘリ墜落、阿蘇山火口付近で捜索続く　搭乗の3人の安否不明" [Kumamoto helicopter crash, and the safety of the three people on board was unknown after getting close to the Mount Aso crater.]. Mainichi Shimbun . January 21, 2025. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
3. "「濃霧で捜索難航」阿蘇市の遊覧ヘリ 火口内部で機体発見も台湾からの旅行客ら3人不明" ["Dense fog makes it difficult to navigate" A tour in Aso. The body of the aircraft inside the crater is unknown. 3 people include Taiwnaese are unknown.]. Yahoo! Japan News . January 21, 2025. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
4. "Kumamoto helicopter: 'Tourists' go missing as 'aircraft' spotted near active volcano". Daily Express . January 20, 2025. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
5. "Cameraman Stars in Volcano Ordeal : Rescue: Woodland Hills resident is recovering after spending two days trapped in a Hawaiian crater". Los Angeles Times . November 25, 1992. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
6. "Cameraman rescued from crater at Kilauea Volcano". United Press International . November 23, 1992. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
7. "阿蘇火山直升機墜毀！起飛檢查無異常　運營商匠航空回應了" [Helicopter crashes on Mount Aso! Takeoff checks found no abnormalities; operator Takumi Enterprise responds.]. NOWnews (今日新聞) (in Chinese). January 21, 2025. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
8. "Sightseeing helicopter with three on board crashes near Japan's Mount Aso". The Independent . January 22, 2025. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
9. "Tourist helicopter goes missing near volcano in Japan". BBC .
10. "Sightseeing Helicopter Goes Missing Near Volcano, Then Firefighters Get Emergency Alert from Someone Onboard". People (magazine) . January 20, 2025. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
11. "令和6年5月13日に熊本県阿蘇市にて発生した弊社運航のヘリコプターによる航空事故についてご報告もうしあげます" [We would like to report on the aircraft accident involving a helicopter operated by our company that occurred in Aso City, Kumamoto Prefecture on May 13, 2024.]. 匠航空株式会社. May 22, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
12. "阿蘇墜機2台人失聯！　日媒揭營運公司曾5度發生飛安事故" [Two people are missing after plane crash in Asu! Japanese media reveals the operating company had five previous flight safety incidents.]. Mirror Media (in Chinese). January 22, 2025. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
13. "Rescuers spot wreckage possibly from a helicopter that went missing near a volcano in Japan". Associated Press . January 22, 2025. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
14. "阿蘇直升機事故搜救關鍵曝光　iPhone「救命功能」開啟可自動報警" [Key information revealed in the Mount Aso helicopter crash search and rescue operation: iPhone's "emergency feature" can automatically alert authorities.]. HK01 . January 21, 2025. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
15. "阿蘇火山氣體濃度過高 失聯直升機搜尋困難…傍晚暫停明天繼續" [High gas concentrations at Mount Aso make search for the missing helicopter difficult... Search suspended this evening, will resume tomorrow.]. United Daily News . January 21, 2025. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
16. "熊本・阿蘇の遊覧ヘリ事故、捜索が難航　「火口の内側」接近難しく" [Helicopter accidents on the Kumamoto and Aso tours, difficulty in rescue, difficulty in approaching the "inside of Mount Aso crater"]. The Asahi Shimbun . January 21, 2025. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
17. "熊本ヘリ大破、捜索難航　安全委、事故原因究明へ" [Kumamoto helicopter crash: search difficult; safety committee to investigate cause of accident]. 南日本新聞. January 22, 2025. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
18. "阿蘇中岳で遊覧ヘリ事故 ３人安否不明 前例なく捜索・救助は難航 長期化も【熊本】" [Three people missing after helicopter crash on Mount Aso; search and rescue efforts are unprecedentedly difficult and may drag on【Kumamoto】]. Yahoo! Japan News . January 23, 2025. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
19. "遊覧ヘリコプター事故から3日…迅速な捜索は「非常に厳しい状況」　火口の地質もろく 現場への降下困難　熊本" [Three days after the sightseeing helicopter crash... Rapid search is "extremely difficult"; fragile geology at the crater makes it difficult to land on the scene. Kumamoto]. TBS NEWS DIG . January 23, 2025. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
20. "発生から72時間超、いまだ救助の見通したたず　阿蘇・遊覧ヘリ墜落" [More than 72 hours after the incident, rescue still not in sight after sightseeing helicopter crash in Aso]. The Asahi Shimbun . January 23, 2025. Retrieved January 26, 2025.