U.S. military Osprey aircraft crashes into the ocean near Yakushima Island
At approximately 2:47 p.m. local time on November 29, 2023, a caller reported the crash of an Osprey aircraft near Yakushima Island in Japan. The regional coast guard in Kagoshima Prefecture later confirmed that the aircraft belonged to the U.S. military and was carrying eight personnel at the time of the incident.
Details of the crash
The coast guard in Kagoshima Prefecture reported finding wreckage-like debris and an overturned life raft in the ocean near the crash site. Searches for the missing personnel are ongoing, and as of 4:41 p.m. local time, a rescue ship had located one person at sea. The individual was found unconscious and not breathing, and efforts to revive the person were underway as they were transported to Anbo Port.
Updates on the condition of the other personnel have not been provided at this time.
Reports from witnesses indicate that the aircraft was seen emitting fire as it descended, but these reports have not been independently verified.
Yakushima Island, located off the southern coast of Japan, reportedly experienced favorable weather conditions at the time of the crash, according to local weather reports.
Recent history of Osprey incidents
The Osprey aircraft has been involved in a series of incidents in recent years. In August 2023, three U.S. Marines lost their lives when a MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft crashed off the coast of northern Australia, with 23 personnel on board. Additionally, five Marines perished in a V-22 Osprey crash in California in August 2022, an incident that was attributed to mechanical failure. Moreover, in March 2022, four U.S. personnel were killed in a V-22B Osprey crash in northern Norway during NATO training exercises.
The circumstances surrounding the crash near Yakushima Island are currently under investigation, and authorities have not released further information about the cause of the incident. The U.S. military and local authorities are working together to conduct search and rescue operations for the missing personnel, and more updates are expected as the situation develops.
