Tragedy Strikes as U.S. Air Force Osprey Crashes During Training Off Japan, Claiming One Life

(Photo: GB NEWS)

In a terrible accident that happened during a normal training flight, a U.S. An Air Force Osprey fell off the southern coast of Japan, killing at least one of the eight people on board. It was known that the hybrid plane could take off like a helicopter and fly like an airplane. Unfortunately, it crashed near Yakushima, an island south of Kagoshima.

Kazuo Ogawa, a spokesman for the Japanese coast guard, said that the reason of the crash and the conditions of the other seven crew members were not known right away. When a fishing boat near the crash site called for help, the Japanese coast guard started a search and rescue mission.

The Osprey, which is part of the 353rd Special Operations Wing and is based at Yokota Air Base, left the United States. The plane had just left Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni and was on its way to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa when the accident happened. According to reports from people who were there, the plane turned over and one of its engines caught fire. There was then an explosion, and the plane went straight into the water.

The specifics of the crash are still being looked into, but there have been safety worries about Ospreys in the past, with clutch slips leading to brief stand-down orders for the fleet. Late last year, a U.S. The Marine Corps Osprey crash was caused by a broken clutch, which made people look more closely at the plane’s internal systems.

Because of the recent tragedy, Governor Denny Tamaki of Okinawa has asked the U.S. military to stop all Osprey flying in Japan. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he would ask the U.S. military for more information, but he didn’t go so far as to call for a brief stop to Osprey operations in the country.

As the search goes on through the night, the event brings to light the inherent risks of military training drills and forces a reevaluation of the safety rules for these types of aircraft.