TOKYO — Japanese authorities said Tuesday they had recovered a body part during the search for a crew member missing in a deadly military helicopter crash in the country’s southwest. The Apache helicopter crashed Monday in a residential area in Saga province, killing co-pilot Hiroki Takayama and leaving lead pilot Kenichi Saito missing. “We were informed that a body part was found. But we’re still confirming the identity of the body part,” a defense ministry spokesman told AFP. The helicopter crashed in Saga prefecture seven minutes after takeoff, slamming into and setting on fire a house that was completely destroyed in the accident. An 11-year-old girl was in the house at the time, but survived with minor injuries. Video footage captured by a camera in a nearby car showed the helicopter dropping from the sky almost vertically, with its nose pointing directly towards the ground. The AH-64 Apache attack helicopter was conducting a test flight after routine maintenance at the time of the accident, and had taken off from a Self-Defense Forces (SDF) base, according to the defense ministry. There has also been a string of accidents involving US military helicopters that have fueled opposition to their presence in the country. — AFP
