I’m willing to bet money the pilot tried to blame maintenance at some point. Either way its going to suck for whoever is found at fault as the window actually hit someone.
Tokyo (CNN)The window of a US Marine Corps helicopter fell off mid-flight onto a school playing field, slightly injuring a child on the Japanese island of Okinawa. The incident is likely to fuel outrage among locals who view the US military footprint in southern Japan as both a pest and a danger.
US Forces Japan said in a statement that the window of a CH-53 transport helicopter fell onto a sports field Tuesday at an elementary school outside Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. The aircraft immediately returned to base after the incident.
USFJ told CNN in an email the window weighed 20 pounds (9 kilograms) and measured 35 by 34 inches (88.9 by 86.4 centimeters).
“We take this report extremely seriously and are investigating the cause of this incident in close coordination with local authorities,” the statement said. “This is a regrettable incident and we apologize for any anxiety it has caused the community.”
The child was not seriously injured.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the Tuesday incident was “unacceptable” and urged US forces to minimize their impact on local residents.
“US forces repeatedly cause these accidents, but they are not listening to our voices at all,” Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga said. “We have lodged protests many times, but the business goes on regardless what we say. The Okinawa people’s feeling towards American forces can hardly be described as good neighbors.”
US service members have been accused of assaulting and raping Okinawans. Last month, a US Marine was accused of killing a local man in a drunk-driving accident. An indefinite alcohol ban among US servicemen was subsequently imposed, but has since been lifted.
Onaga has been a strong opponent of plans to move Futenma, which is located in a densely populated part of the island, since his election in 2014. He stymied plans to relocate Futenma to a more remote area, as he wants base taken…