A U.S. military V-22 Osprey aircraft carrying six people crashed off the coast of Yakushima Island, Japan, resulting in at least one confirmed fatality.
The aircraft was reportedly trying to make an emergency landing at Kagoshima Airport prior to the crash, with its left engine on fire.
This incident is the latest in a series of Osprey crashes, with previous accidents occurring in Australia, California, Norway, and a 2016 crash off the Okinawa coast.
A U.S. military V-22 Osprey aircraft carrying six people crashed off the coast of Yakushima Island, Japan, resulting in at least one confirmed fatality. The aircraft was reportedly trying to make an emergency landing at Kagoshima Airport prior to the crash. Witnesses reported that the aircraft's left engine appeared to be on fire as it approached the airport. The aircraft disappeared from radar shortly before the crash.
The Japanese Coast Guard has deployed patrol boats and aircraft for search and rescue efforts. The condition of at least two people rescued from the waters is unclear. The status of the other individuals on board remains unknown at this time.
The Osprey, a hybrid aircraft used by the U.S. Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force, had departed from the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni and was en route to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa. The crash occurred despite clear weather and light wind conditions.
This incident is the latest in a series of Osprey crashes, with previous accidents occurring in Australia, California, Norway, and a 2016 crash off the Okinawa coast that injured two crew members. A fatal crash also occurred on a north Australian island in August. The cause of the current crash is still under investigation.
The Osprey, a hybrid aircraft used by the U.S. Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force, had departed from the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni and was en route to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa.
This incident follows a series of accidents involving Ospreys, including a 2016 crash off the Okinawa coast that injured two crew members and a fatal crash on a north Australian island in August.