According to the Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun on March 13th, in April 2024, two SH-60K patrol helicopters of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force collided and crashed in the waters off Bird Island in the Izu Islands. On the 12th, the Maritime Self Defense Force announced that they have salvaged the main parts of the bodies of two helicopters that have sunk into the sea and confirmed the presence of multiple remains inside the aircraft.

The depth of the crash site is about 5500 meters. The Maritime Self Defense Force, with the help of the United States providing the latest equipment to allied and friendly countries as "paid military aid", invested $10 million to commission the US Navy to carry out salvage operations.

The ocean operation vessel arrived at the site on the 8th and remotely operated an unmanned submersible to hang steel ropes on the submerged body. On the 11th and 12th, a helicopter was salvaged.

The above-mentioned accident occurred during submarine detection training on the evening of April 20, 2024.

There were a total of 8 team members on board the two helicopters. After the incident, the body of one person was found, and the remaining 7 missing persons were identified as dead.

The Maritime Self Defense Force announced the results of the accident investigation in July last year. According to the analysis of the flight recorder, the cause of the accident was that the crew did not observe carefully and the commander did not have sufficient control over the flight altitude.

The Maritime Self Defense Force suspended the flight training of patrol helicopters after the above-mentioned accident, but fully resumed it by the end of February 2025.