TOKYO, Nov 29 (Reuters) – A U.S. military aircraft with eight individuals onboard crashed into the sea in western Japan on Wednesday with fishermen reporting three individuals had been discovered however that their condition was unknown.
The coast guard stated it had despatched patrol boats and aircraft to the realm the place the tilt-rotor V-22 Osprey crashed off the island of Yakushima.
Fishing boats in the realm discovered three individuals in the encircling waters, a consultant of an area fisheries cooperative stated.
The crashed occurred close to the island’s airport, the place one other Osprey efficiently landed on Wednesday afternoon, a spokesperson for the prefectural authorities stated.
U.S. forces in the area had been nonetheless gathering data, a spokesperson stated.
The crash occurred simply earlier than 3 p.m. (0600 GMT) with witnesses saying the aircraft’s left engine seemed to be on fireplace because it descended, media reported.
The aircraft disappeared from radar at 2.40 p.m. native time, Japan Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno stated.
The aircraft, which may fly each like a helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft, is operated by the U.S. Marines, U.S. Navy and the Japan Self Defense Forces.
The deployment of the Osprey in Japan has been controversial, with critics saying it’s susceptible to accidents. The U.S. military and Japan say it’s secure.
In August, a U.S. Osprey crashed off the coast of northern Australia whereas transporting troops throughout a routine military train, killing three U.S. Marines.
Another crash-landed in the ocean off Japan’s southern island of Okinawa in December 2016, prompting a short lived U.S. military grounding of the aircraft.
Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka, Tim Kelly and Satoshi Sugiyama; Writing by John Geddie; Editing by David Dolan, Gerry Doyle and Nick Macfie
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