During a sudden Zeon attack on the White Base while traveling over the Atlantic Ocean, Kai and Miharu go out in a Gunperry transport plane. During the battle, controls in the cockpit get stuck and Miharu goes down to help fire the plane's missiles manually. But she is knocked from the Gunperry by the missiles' exhaust blast, and falls out of the plane over the Atlantic Ocean. Miharu's death marks a turning point in Kai's development as he works through his grief.