Flight data recorders from crashed Japanese navy helicopters show no sign of mechanical failure

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associatd Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s defense ministry says an initial analysis of flight data recorders recovered from the crash of two Japanese navy helicopters showed no sign of mechanical problems, indicating likely human error. One of the eight crew members died and a search is continuing Monday for the seven others. Defense Minister Minoru Kihara says the helicopters likely came too close and collided during nighttime anti-submarine training late Saturday. The crash comes as Japan, under a 2022 security strategy, accelerates its defense buildup in the Pacific and East China Sea to counter threats from China’s increasingly assertive military.