Taiwanese tourists and pilot missing as helicopter wreckage found in Japan

Search teams have discovered the wreckage of a sightseeing helicopter that crashed on Mount Aso, in southern Japan, on January 20, 2026. Images of the downed helicopter were released by Japanese authorities on January 21, 2026. Two Taiwanese tourists and one pilot remain missing. A passenger’s smartphone automatically alerted emergency services early on January 20, 2026, after detecting an ‘abrupt collision’. Rescuers have yet to reach the aircraft as volcanic gases and poor visibility continue to hinder recovery efforts.