US Military Aircraft Crashes Off Japanese Coast, Three Rescued

US Military Aircraft Crashes Off Japanese Coast, Three Rescued

VoM News Desk | November 29, 2023 | 03:20 PM IST | Japan | Tags: #AircraftSafety, #JapanRescueOperation, #MarineCorps, #V22Osprey, #YakushimaIsland, USMilitaryCrash | Follow on Google News

US Military Aircraft Crashes Off Japanese Coast, Three Rescued

US Military Aircraft Crashes Off Japanese Coast, Three Rescued
A US military aircraft, carrying eight people, crashed into the sea near western Japan’s Yakushima Island. Following the crash, local fishermen reported that three individuals were found in the surrounding waters, though their condition remains unknown. The Japanese coast guard dispatched patrol boats and aircraft to the crash site, located near Yakushima’s airport, to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts.

Details of the Incident
The crash occurred in the vicinity of the island’s airport, where another Osprey aircraft managed to land successfully on the same day. US forces in the region are currently gathering more information about the incident. According to witnesses and media reports, the aircraft’s left engine was seemingly on fire as it descended, eventually disappearing from radar around 2.40 p.m. local time. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno has acknowledged the situation.

Controversy Surrounding the Osprey Deployment
The crashed aircraft, a tilt-rotor V-22 Osprey capable of flying like both a helicopter and a fixed-wing plane, is operated by the US Marines, Navy, and the Japan Self Defense Forces. Its deployment in Japan has been a subject of controversy, with critics pointing to its accident-prone nature. Despite these concerns, both the US military and Japan have defended its safety record. This incident follows previous crashes involving Ospreys, including one off northern Australia in August, resulting in three US Marines’ deaths, and another off Okinawa in December 2016 that led to a temporary grounding of the fleet.

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