A U.S. Osprey military transport aircraft carrying eight individuals met with an accident off Japan’s southwestern island of Yakushima in Kagoshima Prefecture on Wednesday, as per reports from local media.
The Japan Coast Guard received an urgent distress call around 2:47 p.m. local time (0547 GMT) subsequent to the departure of the Osprey from the Iwakuni U.S. base in Yamaguchi Prefecture, en route to the Kadena base in Okinawa, stated public broadcaster NHK, citing local authorities.
At 2:40 p.m. local time, the aircraft disappeared from radar, as reported by the defense ministry.
Kazuo Ogawa, spokesperson for the Japanese coast guard, mentioned that patrol boats and aircraft were immediately dispatched to the crash site for search and rescue operations. However, there are no confirmed details yet regarding the well-being of those on board.
Weather officials noted predominantly clear skies over the Yakushima area during the day, with a wind speed of 6.84 km per hour recorded at 2:30 p.m. local time. No warnings or advisories were issued at that time.
The tilt-rotor Osprey aircraft, capable of operating as both a helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft, has a history of accidents and incidents in Japan and internationally.
In August, a U.S. Osprey crashed off the northern coast of Australia, resulting in the loss of three crew members. Another incident occurred when an Osprey crash-landed in the ocean off Japan’s southern island of Okinawa back in December 2016.
