In a tragic incident, a US military Osprey aircraft crashed into the sea off the coast of southern Japan, prompting a swift response from rescue teams. The wreckage of the aircraft, which carried eight crew members, was discovered along with a deployed lifeboat, according to Japan’s coastguard.
The coastguard received an emergency call on Wednesday afternoon from a fishing boat near the crash site, situated off the island of Yakushima, south of Kyushu’s main island. “We received information at 2:47 pm today,” stated a coastguard spokesperson, confirming the presence of eight crew members on board.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno disclosed that the aircraft vanished from radar at 2:40 pm local time. Eyewitnesses reported that the left engine of the Osprey appeared to be on fire as it descended into the sea near Yakushima airport. Nearby fishing boats rushed to the scene, successfully locating three of the crew members.
As the US forces in the region gather information about the incident, details emerge that the CV-22 Osprey belonged to the US Yokota airbase in Tokyo. The aircraft had departed from the Iwakuni US base in the Yamaguchi region en route to the Kadena base in Okinawa.
The Osprey, known for its hybrid capabilities allowing it to take off and land like a helicopter while also cruising like an airplane, has a troubled history marked by fatal crashes. In August, an Osprey crashed in Australia, resulting in the loss of three crew members and injuries to 20. Last year in June, five Marines perished in a California desert crash involving an Osprey.
March 2022 witnessed another tragic incident when an Osprey crashed near a Norwegian town during a NATO exercise, claiming the lives of four Marines. In 2017, three Marines lost their lives in an Osprey crash off Australia’s north coast.
The troubled history of Osprey incidents has led to increased scrutiny, and earlier this year, the US Army’s chief of staff took measures to enhance pilot training and safety after multiple helicopter crashes resulted in fatalities during critical missions. The latest crash adds to the challenges surrounding the safety record of Osprey aircraft.
