TOKYO: A U.S. military aircraft carrying eight people crashed into the sea in Japan on Wednesday, killing at least one crew member.
The U.S. military said the mishap occurred during a routine training mission off the shores of Yakushima Island, about 1,040 km (650 miles) southwest of the capital Tokyo.
"The crew’s conditions are unknown at this time," a statement from U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command said.
Japan's coast guard said what appeared to be wreckage from the tilt-rotor V-22 Osprey and one person, who was later confirmed to have died, were found about 3 km (2 miles) from the shore.
A representative for the Yakushima Fisheries Cooperative initially said fishing boats in the area found three people in the surrounding waters, but later clarified that just one person had been found.
Another Osprey thought to have been travelling with the crashed aircraft landed safely at the island's airport on Wednesday afternoon, a spokesperson for the local government said.
The United States has more than 50,000 U.S. troops in Japan, many in the strategically important southwestern Okinawan islands, amid growing Chinese military assertiveness around nearby Taiwan.
The crash happened just before 3 p.m. (0600 GMT), with witnesses saying the aircraft's left engine appeared to be on fire as it approached an airport for an emergency landing, despite clear weather and light wind, media reported.
The aircraft was part of a unit based in Okinawa trained to transport and supply special operations forces, according to the U.S. military.
Japan, which also operates Osprey aircraft, said on Wednesday it had asked the U.S. military to investigate the crash.
Developed jointly by Boeing BA.N and Bell Helicopter, the Osprey can fly both like a helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft and is operated by the U.S. Air Force, Marines and Navy and the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
The deployment of the hybrid aircraft in Japan has been controversial, with critics saying it is prone to accidents. The U.S. military and Japan say it is safe.
In August, a U.S. Osprey crashed off the coast of northern Australia while transporting troops during a routine military exercise, killing three U.S. Marines.
Another crash-landed in the ocean off Japan's southern island of Okinawa in December 2016, prompting a temporary U.S. military grounding of the aircraft.
Reuters
Thu Nov 30 2023
A Japan Coast Guard vessel and a helicopter conduct a search and rescue operation at the site where a U.S. military aircraft V-22 Osprey crashed into the sea off Yakushima Island, Kagoshima prefecture, Japan November 30, 2023. - Kyodo/REUTERS
Bau busuk bongkar skru tertanam dalam hidung
Doktor berjaya menemui objek mencurigakan berwarna hitam dalam rongga hidung kanak-kanak itu dan ia disahkan melalui imbasan CT di kepalanya.
[LAPOR LANGSUNG] Letupan baharu menggegarkan Beirut
Rakaman video menunjukkan letupan itu menerangi pinggir bandar selatan yang padat penduduk.
Letupan baharu menggegarkan Beirut
Letupan kuat itu bermula hampir tengah malam dan berterusan hingga Ahad.
#AWANIRingkas 6 Oktober 2024 | 9 AM
Berikut merupakan rangkuman berita setakat 9 pagi, 6 Oktober 2024
1️⃣ Keperluan tenaga boleh baharu
2️⃣ Menjelang Belanjawan 2025
3️⃣ Banjir di Perak dan Selangor
#awaniringkas
1️⃣ Keperluan tenaga boleh baharu
2️⃣ Menjelang Belanjawan 2025
3️⃣ Banjir di Perak dan Selangor
#awaniringkas
KPT akan pastikan capaian internet di IPTA berada di tahap tertinggi - Zambry
KPT sedang berusaha memastikan capaian Internet di semua IPTA berada pada tahap tertinggi.
AWANI Ringkas: Keperluan tenaga boleh baharu
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Enam rakyat Malaysia selamat tiba dari Lubnan, jumlah keseluruhan kini 17 orang dievakuasi
Wisma Putra dalam kenyataan segera memaklumkan, seramai enam orang lagi turut dijadualkan tiba di Malaysia malam ini.
Bekas gabenor New York, anak tiri diserang empat individu
Kedua-dua mangsa mengalami kecederaan di bahagian muka serta badan dan dikejarkan ke hospital untuk menerima rawatan.
Tentera AS lancar serangan di bandar Yaman
AS menyerang 15 sasaran Houthi di kawasan yang dikawal oleh kumpulan yang disokong Iran itu.
Korea Selatan pindahkan 97 rakyatnya dari Lubnan
Kementerian Luar Korea Selatan maklumkan, kesemua mereka tiba di Korea Selatan pada petang Sabtu.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Britain buka permohonan visa kepada warga Hong Kong
Selepas menetap lima tahun, mereka juga dibolehkan untuk memohon kewarganegaraan.
Dream of maiden Olympic gold put on hold
When one looks back on this year, it is inevitable that the main topic of discussion will be the COVID-19 pandemic.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
AirAsia Japan tutup operasi serta-merta
Penutupan itu susulan impak besar COVID-19 serta larangan perjalanan yang menjejaskan permintaan penerbangan.
AirAsia Japan: AirAsia Group kaji pilihan mengenai operasinya di Jepun, kata Fernandes
Tan Sri Tony Fernandes berkata syarikat penerbangan tambang rendah itu terbuka untuk mengkaji semua pilihan membabitkan operasi di Jepun.
Ibu lawat teman lelaki, anak ditinggalkan mati kelaparan
Suspek dipercayai meninggalkan anaknya selama lebih seminggu untuk bertemu teman lelaki yang berada kira-kira 965 km di wilayah Kagoshima.
COVID-19: Tak boleh jerit naik roller coaster, 'hantu' jaga jarak sosial di taman tema Jepun
Dilarang menjerit ketika menaiki roller coaster, jaga jarak sosial dalam Rumah Hantu dan jangan high-five adiwira kegemaran anda.
MV Diamond Princess akan berlabuh di Port Klang, sah tiada kes COVID-19
Kapal persiaran MV Diamond Princesskini dalam perjalanan ke Malaysia untuk menambah stok barangan dan mengisi minyak.
COVID-19: Ratusan ribu bunga dicantas, elak orang ramai berkunjung ke taman
Walaupun Festival Tulip Sakura tahun ini dibatalkan, namun orang ramai masih mengunjungi lokasi tersebut untuk menikmati pemandangan cantik bunga-bunga di situ.