US military Osprey aircraft crashes near the small Japanese islands of Yakushima with at least one crew member dead, as per a US defense official. The Japanese coast guard has confirmed the recovery of a deceased crew member with search operations continuing into the night for the others on board. Japanese Coast Guard, US Air Force Special Operations Command, and NHK sources provide significant information on the incident. The wreck of the Osprey was seen by a coast guard vessel and footage from the Japanese national broadcaster NHK showed a bright orange life raft in the water. An eyewitness reported seeing the aircraft’s left engine on fire before it went down about 600 miles southwest of Tokyo. Search and rescue operations commenced at the site of the crash and it was reported that the Osprey landed alongside another aircraft of the same type before the incident. Japanese coast guard officials reported that the first emergency call came in around 2:45 p.m. local time. An Osprey can take off and land vertically like a helicopter with turbo prop features, and the crash has raised significant attention to the joint US-Japan response and the integration of forces in the country. NHK reported on the specifics of the incident and further background to the US’s military Osprey history. CBS News’ foreign editor Tucker Reals provided significant coverage of the event.
U.S. Military Osprey Aircraft Crash off Japan’s Coast: 1 Confirmed Dead, 7 Injured
