Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Livemint
Livemint
National

US military Osprey aircraft with 6 aboard crashes off southern Japan, at least 1 dead

A Japan Coast Guard vessel and a helicopter conduct search and rescue operation at the site where a US military aircraft MV-22 Osprey crashed into the sea off Yakushima Island (Photo: Reuters)

The cause of the crash and the status of the five others on the aircraft were not immediately known, coast guard spokesperson Kazuo Ogawa said. Initial reports said the aircraft was carrying eight people, but the US military later revised the number to six, he said.

Also Read | Hero MotoCorp, TVS, Bajaj Auto share price at 52 week high on improved outlook

The coast guard received an emergency call from a fishing boat near the crash site off Yakushima, an island south of Kagoshima on the southern main island of Kyushu, he said.

Coast guard aircraft and patrol boats found one person, who was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, and gray-colored debris believed to be from the aircraft, Ogawa said. They were found about 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) off the eastern coast of Yakushima. An empty inflatable life raft was also found in the area.

Also Read | Did Charlie Munger have a bucket list? Find out what he wanted to do & gave up

“The government will confirm information about the damage and place the highest priority on saving lives," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters.

The Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter, but during flight can rotate its propellers forward and cruise much faster like an airplane. Versions of the aircraft are flown by the US Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force.

Ogawa said the aircraft had departed from the US Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi prefecture and crashed on its way to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa.

Also Read | Uttarkashi tunnel rescue LIVE: Survivors reach AIIMS Rishikesh

Japanese Vice Defense Minister Hiroyuki Miyazawa said the Osprey had attempted an emergency sea landing.

Kyodo News agency, quoting Kagoshima prefectural officials, said witnesses reported seeing fire coming from the Osprey’s left engine.

It said a Japanese military base in Saga in southern Japan decided to postpone planned Osprey flight exercises on Thursday.

US and Japanese officials said the aircraft belonged to Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo. US Air Force officials at Yokota said they were still confirming information and had no immediate comment.

Also Read | Prosus marks down Byju’s valuation to below $3 bn; says investment in loss

Ospreys have had a number of accidents in the past, including in Japan, where they are deployed at both US and Japanese military bases. In Okinawa, where about half of the 50,000 American troops in Japan are based, Gov. Denny Tamaki told reporters Wednesday that he will ask the US military to suspend all Osprey flights in Japan.

In December 2016, a US Marine Corps Osprey crashed off the Okinawa coast, injuring two of the five crew members and triggering complaints among local residents about the US bases and the Osprey's safety record.

A US Marine Corps Osprey with 23 Marines aboard crashed on a north Australian island in August, killing at least three and critically injuring at least five during a multinational training exercise.

It was the fifth fatal crash of a Marine Osprey since 2012, bringing the death toll at that time to at least 19.

Milestone Alert!Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world 🌏 Click here to know more.

Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More Less
Updated: 29 Nov 2023, 04:25 PM IST
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.