Tourist Helicopter Vanishes Near Japan’s Active Mount Aso Volcano; Search Underway
Sightseeing chopper with 2 Taiwanese tourists and Japanese pilot missing after 10-minute flight.
A tourist helicopter carrying three people went missing near Mount Aso, one of Japan’s most active volcanoes, on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. The US-made Robinson R44 aircraft, operated by Takumi Enterprise, took off from Aso City zoo in Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu island, at 10:52 local time for a routine 10-minute sightseeing tour. It lost contact shortly after and failed to return. On board were two Taiwanese passengers—a man in his 40s and a woman in her 30s—and a highly experienced 64-year-old Japanese pilot with 40 years of flying experience.
A police helicopter spotted an object resembling an aircraft inside the Nakadake crater—one of Mount Aso’s five peaks—around 16:00 local time. Authorities are yet to confirm if it is the missing helicopter. The incident occurred on the chopper’s third flight of the day, with no reported issues during the previous two trips. Cloudy weather that morning made visibility poor around the active crater, according to the Aso Volcano Museum.
Search and rescue operations were launched but had to be suspended Tuesday evening due to deteriorating weather conditions and hazardous toxic volcanic gases. Efforts resumed early Wednesday morning near the Nakadake crater. In response, Takumi Enterprise has grounded its entire fleet pending further investigation. Local officials are also reviewing safety measures for manned flights over active volcanic zones. Notably, this is not the company’s first incident—in 2024, one of its helicopters made an emergency landing, injuring three people.
Also Read: Mumbai University Winter Exams 2025 Postponed Again Due to Zilla Parishad Polls
Mount Aso remains a major tourist draw for its dramatic volcanic landscapes, vast caldera (one of the world’s largest at about 18 km in diameter), hot springs, and hiking trails within Aso Kuju National Park. Nakadake, the most active peak, last erupted significantly in October 2021. While helicopter tours offer stunning aerial views, the area’s unpredictable weather and volcanic activity pose ongoing risks. Updates are awaited as rescue teams work against challenging conditions to locate the helicopter and its occupants.
Also Read: Another 100 Stray Dogs Poisoned After 500 Killed in Election Pledge in Telangana
