A US military aircraft with six people on board has crashed off Yakushima Island in south-western Japan.

[Malcolm]

US military aircraft with six aboard crashes off Japan island (bbc.com)

A US military aircraft with six people on board has crashed off Yakushima Island in south-western Japan.

Japan's Coast Guard said one person had been found dead near the crash site.

Japan's NHK broadcaster said the CV-22 Osprey hybrid plane had been trying to land at Yakushima Airport with one engine on fire. There is no US comment.

Ospreys - which can function as a helicopter and a turboprop aircraft - have been involved in a string of fatal crashes over the years.

The aircraft that went down on Wednesday was thought to be heading from Iwakuni base in the western Yamaguchi prefecture to Kadena base in the country's south-westernmost Okinawa region.

Japan's defence ministry said the aircraft disappeared from the radar at 14:40 local time (05:40 GMT) on Wednesday.

The Coast Guard received a distress call five minutes later, saying the plane had crashed.

 

It then sent six boats and two helicopters to the scene. At 16:00, the helicopters spotted what looked like a part of the plane and a life raft, a spokesperson told the BBC.

Earlier reports said eight people were on board the aircraft, but that number was later revised down by the Coast Guard.

It posted photos of what is believed to be the plane's wreckage off Yakushima.

An eyewitness told local TV that the plane had been circling before exploding and crashing into the sea on Wednesday.

Another Osprey aircraft believed to have been flying alongside landed safely at Yakushima, local officials said.

 

Getty Images

Japanese media said the CV-22 Osprey - like the one seen in this archive photo - was trying to land at Yakushima Airport when it crashed

Yakushima, in Kagoshima prefecture, is located south of Japan's Kyushu island.

 

More than 50,000 US troops are stationed across Japan.

In August, a different model Osprey crashed in northern Australia during a military exercise for locally based troops, killing three US marines among the 23 on board.

In 2017, three marines were killed when an Osprey crashed after clipping the back of a transport ship while trying to land at sea off Australia's northern coast.

 

Asia

Japan

[J.O.]

That thing has far too many single points of failure for my liking. Once again, I find myself wondering if the Osprey's mission is so vital that it's worth the risk to those who are crewing it.

[Malcolm]

The Osprey's Real Problem Isn't Safety—It's Money (popularmechanics.com)

[Malcolm]

US grounds entire Osprey fleet after fatal crash in Japan

6th December 2023, 19:25 GMT-7

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By Chloe KimBBC News

Reuters

The US said the Osprey crash that killed eight US service members in Japan was due to a malfunction.

The US has grounded its entire fleet of V-22 Osprey helicopters after a report said a crash off the coast of Japan last week, which killed eight crewmembers, was due to a malfunction.

Air Force and Navy officials said they had taken the step "to mitigate risk while the investigation continues".

Not all of the remains of service members killed in the crash have been recovered yet.

Japan grounded its fleet of 14 Ospreys after the crash as well.

Japan is the only other nation known to operate Ospreys, which operate both as a helicopter and an aircraft with a propeller.

The Air Force said the American fleet is expected to remain grounded until it completes its investigation. It did not say how long that might take.

"The stand down will provide time and space for a thorough investigation to determine causal factors and recommendations to ensure the Air Force CV-22 fleet returns to flight operations," Air Force Special Operations Command said in a statement on Wednesday. 

At the time of the crash, the Osprey had been on a training flight from a US Marine Corps air base in Yamaguchi Prefecture and was headed towards Kadena Air Base in Okinawa.

Eyewitnesses said the aircraft flipped over and was on fire before crashing offshore.

Six bodies have been found of the eight killed in the crash.

"The honourable service of these eight Airmen to this great Nation will never be forgotten, as they are now among the giants who shape our history," said Lt Gen Tony Bauernfeind, the commander of Air Force Special Operations Command.

The Osprey - a vehicle designed to take off and land like a helicopter but speed forward like a fixed-wing aircraft - is used by the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. Over 400 are currently in service.

First introduced in 2007 after decades of testing, Ospreys have come under scrutiny for being involved in multiple fatal accidents during its time in service.

More than 50 service members have died either on Osprey flight tests or training flights.

In August, a separate model of Osprey crashed during a military exercise in Australia, killing three US Marines and injuring 20 others. The incident is still under investigation.

Another crash involving an Osprey in the California desert last year caused the deaths of five Marines.

Earlier this year, the Navy, Air Force, and Marines grounded some V-22 Ospreys due to an ongoing issue with the tiltrotor's hard clutch.

[Specs]

I think the Osprey is one of the few military aircraft I've yet to see operating in the air or on the ground.   I better go find one before the groundings become more permanent. 

Edited December 7, 2023 by Specs

[Malcolm]

Just don't get too close 

[Specs]

I'll wear a helmet.

[Maverick]

5 hours ago, Specs said:

I think the Osprey is one of the few military aircraft I've yet to see operating in the air or on the ground.   I better go find one before the groundings become more permanent. 

The V-22 will be around a long time. It's had its issues but no more than any other truly revolutionary design, which it certainly is.