US Osprey Military aircraft with 8 crew crashes off Japan. A U.S. military V-22 Osprey aircraft crashed into the waters off western Japan‘s Yakushima island on Wednesday, as confirmed by Japan’s coast guard.
At the time of the report, there were eight individuals on board, and the Coast Guard provided no further details regarding their status.
The crash occurred at approximately 2:47 p.m. local time (0547 GMT), with eyewitnesses noting that the aircraft’s left engine appeared to be ablaze as it descended towards the ocean, according to Japanese broadcaster MBC.
A spokesperson for U.S. forces in the region stated that they are currently in the process of gathering information about the incident. This comes in the wake of a similar event in August when the U.S. Osprey crashed off the northern coast of Australia during a routine military exercise, resulting in the tragic deaths of three U.S. Marines.
Notably, another Osprey crash-landed in the waters off Japan’s southern island of Okinawa back in December 2016. Following that incident, the U.S. military temporarily grounded the aircraft.
The V-22 Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft renowned for its ability to operate both as a helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft. It is utilized by the U.S. Marines, the U.S. Navy, and the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
As US Osprey Military aircraft with 8 crew crashes off Japan, the deployment of Ospreys in Japan has been a subject of controversy, with critics expressing concerns about the aircraft’s safety record. However, both the U.S. military and Japanese authorities maintain that the Osprey is a safe and reliable aircraft.
