Helicopter mission deemed unsafe; Japan struggles to cool radioactive materials

By Brian Vastag and Rick Maese, Wednesday, March 16, 6:20 AM

The second helicopter, a Boeing CH-47 was scheduled to make several passes, dropping seawater onto Unit 3, which had suffered an explosion on Monday that resulted in structural damage that appears to have compromised the reactor. But the crew on the lead chopper found radiation levels were too high to carry out the risky mission.