3 days ago
Small plane overruns airfield runway in northeastern Japan, 2 people rescued
Emergency services workers have rescued two people from a small plane that fell over the edge of a cliff after overrunning an airfield runway in northeastern Japan.
The incident occurred at Semine Airfield in Kurihara City, Miyagi Prefecture. The local fire department received a call for help shortly before noon on Monday.
Fire department officials said a man in his 70s and a woman in her 30s were rescued from the plane and taken to hospital. The officials said they were both conscious and able to speak.
The police are asking the two for details about what happened.
Footage taken by NHK from a helicopter shows the plane had fallen over the cliff's edge into bushes. The tilted aircraft was at risk of falling further down the cliff. Rescuers have been seen working around the plane.
At Semine Airfield, another small plane overran the runway and fell over the cliff last October. The government's Transport Safety Board has been looking into the cause.
The board considers Monday's case a serious incident that could have led to a disaster. It has decided to send three investigators to the site.
