HEARTBREAKING images have emerged of the twisted wreckage of a sightseeing helicopter that vanished while flying over an active volcano in Japan.
The aircraft, carrying two Taiwanese tourists and a Japanese pilot, went missing while circling Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture.
The tourists, a 41-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman from Taiwan, had been attempting to get a closer look at the volcano’s peak when the helicopter disappeared from radar at around 11am on Tuesday.
They were travelling with a 64-year-old Japanese pilot.
Almost immediately, alarm bells began to ring.
Emergency services were scrambled after the helicopter’s operator, Takumi Air, received a distress signal from the aircraft.
Moments later, the local fire department received an alert from one of the passenger’s mobile phones, indicating there had been some kind of impact.
At roughly the same time, security staff stationed near the summit reported hearing a loud crashing sound echoing across the crater.
Fearing the worst, the tour agency contacted authorities when the helicopter failed to return to the Cuddly Dominion facility as scheduled.
A 60-strong search operation was launched, with crews battling treacherous terrain and thick columns of volcanic smoke pouring from the crater.
After hours of uncertainty, rescuers announced they had “discovered what appeared to be an aircraft”.
The Japan Self-Defence Forces were also deployed to assist with aerial searches, Kumamoto Prefecture Governor Takashi Kimura confirmed.
Unfortunately, all recovery efforts have since been halted due to dangerously high concentrations of volcanic gases in the area.
The helicopter’s operator said the crash had left them stunned, admitting: “We never expected an accident to happen.”
Families of the victims have since travelled to Kumamoto, where officials briefed them on the unfolding situation.
However, they have not yet travelled to the crash site, which remains inaccessible.
Mount Aso is Japan’s second-largest active volcano after Mount Fuji and dominates the southwestern island of Kyushu.
While it has not experienced major activity since 2021, its violent history looms large.
The colossal volcano is believed to have formed through four massive eruptions between 300,000 and 90,000 years ago.
Its vast caldera stretches across the landscape, with the 5,223-foot peak long drawing tourists from around the world.
According to Japan’s Ministry of the Environment, around 1.18 million visitors travelled to Aso-Kuju National Park – which includes Mount Aso – in 2024 alone.
Sightseeing helicopter tours are popular in the region, offering close-up views of the crater when ground access is restricted due to dangerous gases.
Under normal conditions, such aerial tours are not considered especially risky when weather is favourable.
Japan, however, sits atop the volatile Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where a significant share of the world’s earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.
Mount Aso last dramatically reminded visitors of its power in 2021, when it erupted suddenly, sending vast clouds of ash billowing into the sky and forcing hikers to flee the area.
Torrents of ash raced down the volcano’s slopes toward a nearby museum, stopping short of the building.
Thankfully, no injuries were reported at the time.
The volcano also rumbled back to life in 2016 after lying dormant for 19 years.
