Crashed helicopter with two Taiwanese found on Japan’s Mt AsoBy Tsai Yun-jung and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNASearch teams were able to track a crashed sightseeing helicopter that went missing in southwestern Japan today with two Taiwanese passengers on board, but rescue operations must wait until weather conditions improve, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Fukuoka said. Two Taiwanese passengers and a pilot were believed to be aboard a sightseeing helicopter that went missing at about noon near the summit of Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyodo news agency reported. The helicopter departed at 10:52am from the Aso Cuddly Dominion zoo, and contact was lost at about 11am, the news outlet cited the operator as saying. Mount Aso in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture is pictured in an undated photograph. From its serial number, police were able to identify the aircraft as the missing helicopter, but it remains difficult to approach due to the terrain, reports said.

Source: Taipei Times January 20, 2026 11:08 UTC