US Transport Plane Crashes into Sea South of Kyushu, Japan... 3 of 8 Rescued

A US military transport Osprey crashed into the sea near Yakushima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture, southern Kyushu, Japan, on the afternoon of the 29th.

Osprey flying over Okinawa, Japan. [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to local reports, the Japan Coast Guard received a report of the Osprey transport crashing into the sea at around 2:47 PM that day. It is estimated that eight people were on board the CV-22 Osprey transport. Among them, three were found by a fishing boat conducting rescue operations.

The Osprey disappeared from radar at around 2:40 PM that day, and Kyodo News reported that it crashed about 2 to 4 km from Yakushima Airport.

The crashed Osprey had departed from Iwakuni Base in Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Honshu, and was flying to Kadena Base in Okinawa Prefecture. Yakushima is located roughly midway between Iwakuni Base and Kadena Base. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were reported to be favorable.

The Japan Coast Guard and the Self-Defense Forces have dispatched aircraft and vessels to conduct search operations. At a press conference that afternoon, Hirokazu Matsuno, Chief Cabinet Secretary and spokesperson for the Japanese government, said, "We are confirming the details," and added, "The government is gathering information on the crash and will prioritize saving lives above all else."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.