U.S. military helicopters have been spotted repeatedly flying at low altitudes of 300 meters or less between Tokyo skyscrapers, contravening aviation regulations for Japanese aircraft

美国军用直升机多次被发现在东京摩天大楼之间以低于300米的高度低空飞行，违反了对日本飞机的航空管理规定


(A U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter is seen flying low near the NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward on Aug. 18, 2020. The approximately 270-meter-tall building, known as Docomo Tower, is about 500 meters from Shinjuku Station.)

（2020年8月18日，一架美国黑鹰直升机在东京新宿区代代木大厦附近低空飞行。这座被称为代代木大厦的建筑高约270米，距离新宿车站约500米。）
新闻：

U.S. military helicopters have been spotted repeatedly flying at low altitudes of 300 meters or less between Tokyo skyscrapers, contravening aviation regulations for Japanese aircraft, according to a Mainichi Shimbun investigation.

据《每日新闻》的一项调查，美国军用直升机多次被发现在东京摩天大楼之间以低于300米的高度低空飞行，违反了对日本飞机的航空管理规定。

The investigation found at least one instance where a helicopter passed over Shinjuku Station in central Tokyo at a height of approximately 200 meters, while coming perilously close to surrounding buildings. Danger lurks in this area including the world's busiest train station used by around 3.5 million people a day.

调查发现至少有一次，一架直升飞机在大约200米的高度飞过东京市中心的新宿车站，并危险地靠近周围的建筑物。（这使得）危险潜伏在这个地区，包括世界上最繁忙的火车站，每天有大约350万人使用。

In an investigation conducted over about half a year from July 2020, the Mainichi Shimbun confirmed helicopters belonging to U.S. forces flying at low altitudes over Shinjuku. On 12 occasions, the flights clearly contravened regulations for Japanese aircraft under Japan's Civil Aeronautics Act, which state that the minimum safety altitude for flying is more than 300 meters above the upper edge of the highest obstacle within a 600-meter radius of the aircraft in densely populated areas. There were also five occasions when U.S. military helicopters were strongly suspected to have breached aviation law standards.

在2020年7月进行的一项半年多的调查中，《每日新闻》证实了美国军队的直升机在新宿上空低空飞行。日本《民用航空法》规定，在人口密集地区，飞机半径600米内最高障碍物上边缘上方300米以上为最低安全飞行高度。此外，有五次美国军用直升机被强烈怀疑违反了航空法律标准。

The minimum safety standard specified in the Civil Aeronautics Act, which is applicable to Japanese helicopters, is based on the assumed height required for a forced landing without imposing danger on the ground in the event of an accident or mechanical failure. Japan's aviation law adopts the same standard as the International Civil Aviation Organization.

《民用航空法》规定的最低安全标准适用于日本直升机，其依据是在发生事故或机械故障时，在没有对地面造成危险的情况下强制着陆所需的假定高度。日本的航空法采用与国际民用航空组织相同的标准。

The standard has not been applied to U.S. Forces Japan due to a special provisions law based on the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which was implemented in 1952. However, frequent sightings of low-altitude flights by U.S. military aircraft in the capital could spark new discussion.

由于基于日美关系的《特别条款法》，该标准并未适用于1952年开始实施的《驻日美军部队地位协定》。然而，频繁看到美国军用飞机在首都低空飞行可能会引发新的讨论。

The SOFA stipulates a duty to respect the laws of Japan, and U.S. officials provided a de facto apology following a 2018 case where it was revealed that a fighter jet flew at an altitude below the safety standard in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan.

《驻日美军部队地位协定》规定了尊重日本法律的义务，美国官员在2018年日本东北部岩手县一架战斗机飞行高度低于安全标准的事件后作出了事实上的道歉。

Toshiyuki Kusuhara, a visiting professor at Daiichi Institute of Technology and former senior aircraft accident investigator at the Japan Transport Safety Board, said, "Low-altitude flights in urban areas require high maneuvering skills, and when mistakes such as human errors are made during flights that contravene the law, they almost always end up causing accidents. Not only do such flights endanger the lives of the crew, but also the lives of those living on the ground."

日本第一理工学院的客座教授及日本运输安全委员会的前高级飞机事故调查员Toshiyuki Kusuhara表示：“在城市地区低空飞行需要很高的机动技能，当飞行过程中出现人为失误等违法行为时，几乎总是会导致事故。这类飞行不仅会危及机组人员的生命，还会危及地面人员的生命。”

Low-altitude flights by U.S. military aircraft and noise problems have been repeatedly occurring in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, where roughly 70% of U.S. military-dedicated facilities are located. Meanwhile, in downtown Tokyo, issues including noise problems have been reported around the heliport of the Akasaka Press Center, a U.S. military base in the Roppongi area in the capital's Minato Ward.

美国军用飞机的低空飞行和噪音问题在最南端的冲绳县反复发生，那里大约有70%的美军专用设施。与此同时，在东京市中心，哈迪兵营（哈迪兵营是位于东京港区六本木地区的美国军事基地）的直升机场附近也出现了噪音等问题。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处


The Akasaka Press Center serves as a base for transporting top officials of the U.S. government and the U.S. military to the heart of Japan's capital, from suburban locations including Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, as well as Camp Zama, Naval Air Facility Atsugi, and Yokosuka Naval Base in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo. The trip takes around 10 to 20 minutes one-way. The Akasaka Press Center was also used by former U.S. president Donald Trump when he visited Japan.

哈迪兵营是将美国政府和美军高级官员从东京西部的横田空军基地、座间军营、厚木海军空军基地和东京南部神奈川县横须贺海军基地等郊区地点运送到日本首都东京中心的基地。单程大约需要10到20分钟。美国前总统特朗普访问日本时也使用了哈迪兵营。

The military base in Roppongi has been used to this day since the Japanese government provided the property as a facility and zone for the U.S. military in 1952 following the demilitarization of the country after the end of World War II. Although the Minato Ward Office has repeatedly demanded the Japanese government to remove the military base, there has been no progress on the issue.

六本木的军事基地一直沿用至今。1952年，日本在二战结束后实现了非军事化，日本政府将其作为设施和区域提供给美国军队。尽管港区政府一再要求日本政府撤除军事基地，但在这个问题上一直没有进展。

Since July last year, the Mainichi Shimbun has examined the flight status of U.S. military aircraft from multiple points in 200 meter-class buildings, including the observatory in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building's Main Building No. 1 in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward, to find out how they are actually being flown.

自去年7月以来，《每日新闻》在200米级建筑的多个地点调查了美国军用飞机的飞行状况，包括位于东京新宿区东京都政府大楼1号主楼的天文台，以了解它们到底是怎么飞行的。

The problematic flights over the Shinjuku Station area were confirmed 17 times during a total of 10 days, counting instances of aircraft passing by on trips to and back from their destinations. Cases where aircraft were seen departing or landing at the Akasaka Press Center, about 4 kilometers away from Shinjuku Station, are not included.

在10天的时间里，在新宿机场上空出现问题的飞行被证实了17次，这还是将飞机在往返目的地途中经过的情况算作1次的情况下。而飞机在距离新宿站约4公里的哈迪兵营起飞或降落的情况不包括在内。

The aircraft are all believed to be the U.S. Army's Black Hawk helicopters, and the majority of them came from the direction of Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, where there are numerous U.S. military bases. Although the main duties of Black Hawk helicopters in Japan are the transportation of personnel and training with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, they also join combat in battlefields including that involving shooting and launching missiles.

这些飞机据信都是美国陆军的黑鹰直升机，大部分来自东京以南的神奈川县方向，那里有许多美国军事基地。虽然黑鹰直升机在日本的主要职责是运送人员和与日本自卫队进行训练，但它们也在战场上参与战斗，包括射击和发射导弹。

Of the 17 low-altitude flights observed, helicopters in 12 flights flew at an altitude lower than the height of the NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building, known as Docomo Tower, which stands at roughly 270 meters. There were also six cases with helicopters flying at around the same height as the metropolitan government building's observatory, standing at 202 meters. Aircraft passed by almost directly above Shinjuku Station eight times, and another case was observed where a helicopter nearly brushed against a commercial building connected to the station at a height of approximately 170 meters.

在观测到的17次低空飞行中，有12次直升机飞行的高度低于代代木大厦的高度，该大楼位于约270米的高度。此外，还有6架直升机的飞行高度与大都会政府大楼的天文台一样高，达到202米。飞机在新宿站上空几乎直接飞过8次，另一个案例是，一架直升飞机在大约170米的高度几乎差点撞上了与车站相连的商业建筑。

The remaining five instances saw helicopters fly just above Docomo Tower, among other routes, and it is highly possible the aircraft flew at heights below Japan's safety standards.

在其余五起案例中，直升机在代代木大厦上空，以及其他路线飞行，但飞机飞行的高度极有可能低于日本的安全标准。

U.S. Forces Japan explained in an interview that "U.S. Forces in Japan adhere to bilateral agreements (between the United States and Japan)" and that "all flights conducted by U.S. Forces are either mission-essential or for training and readiness requirements." They commented, "Weather, wind speed/direction, or other factors may affect an aircraft's approach, altitude, speed, descent, etc. as all options are considered when determining the safest possible flight protocol within our bilateral agreements," and emphasized that "at no time will a military flight be authorized for sight-seeing or leisure purposes."

驻日美军在一次采访中解释说，“驻日美军遵守（美日之间的）双边协议，美国部队执行的所有飞行任务要么是必要的任务，要么是为了训练和准备。”他们说：“天气、风速/风向或其他因素可能会影响飞机的进近、高度、速度、下降等等。在确定双边协议范围内最安全的飞行协议时，我们考虑了所有选项，”并强调“任何时候军事飞行都不会被授权为观光或休闲的目的。”

Meanwhile, the Status of U.S. Forces Agreement Division of Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, "If this is true, we'd like to check the situation with U.S. forces."

与此同时，日本外务省驻美部队协定代表则表示，“如果这是真的，我们希望与美军核实情况。