TOKYO, November 29: A U.S. military V-22 Osprey aircraft crashed near an island in western Japan on Wednesday, carrying eight individuals, as reported by Japan’s coast guard.
A coast guard spokesperson mentioned that patrol boats and aircraft were dispatched to the site off Japan’s Yakushima island. However, no further details, including the status of those onboard, were provided.
A U.S. forces spokesperson in the region stated they were still in the process of gathering information about the incident.
The crash occurred around 2:47 p.m. local time (0547 GMT) near the island’s airport, with witnesses observing the aircraft’s left engine seemingly on fire as it descended, according to Japanese media, citing local authorities.
The aircraft vanished from radar at 2:40 p.m. local time, according to Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno.
In August, a U.S. Osprey crashed off the coast of northern Australia during a routine military exercise, resulting in the deaths of three U.S. Marines. Another incident occurred in December 2016, when an Osprey crash-landed in the ocean off Japan’s southern island of Okinawa, leading to a temporary U.S. military grounding of the aircraft.
The tilt-rotor plane, capable of flying like both 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 sparked controversy, with critics expressing concerns about the hybrid aircraft’s accident proneness, while the U.S. military and Japan assert its safety.
