According to Japanese media, the CV-22 Osprey crashed while attempting to land at Yakushima Airport. Image: GETTY IMAGES
US military plane crash near Japan island.
An American military aircraft carrying a total of eight individuals has had a crash on Yakushima Island in Japan.
The Japanese coast guard informed the reporter that rescue personnel have discovered an unconscious passenger.
According to local media, officials have stated that the wreckage of the aircraft has probably been discovered near Yakushima.
NHK, a Japanese broadcaster, said that the CV-22 Osprey was attempting to land at Yakushima Airport when its left engine caught fire.
The aircraft was believed to be in route from Iwakuni base in the Yamaguchi area to Kadena base in Okinawa.
According to Reuters, Hirokazu Matsuno, the Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, stated that the aircraft vanished from radar around 14:40 local time (05:40 GMT).
Subsequently, the coast guard was notified of a distress call, indicating that the aircraft had experienced a crash, precisely seven minutes after the incident occurred.
Subsequently, it dispatched a total of six boats and two helicopters to the location.
According to a spokeswoman, two helicopters arrived at 16:00 and observed what seemed to be a fragment of the aircraft and a life raft.
Yakushima is situated in the southern region of Kyushu island in Kagoshima prefecture.
The Osprey is a versatile aircraft capable of operating as both a helicopter and a turboprop aircraft.
Japan now hosts a military presence of about 50,000 troops from the United States.
Prior to the aircraft’s arrival, several residents residing on Okinawa Island had expressed apprehensions over the safety of Osprey aircraft.
The aeroplane has been implicated in a series of tragic accidents throughout the years.
During a military practise for forces stationed in the area, another Osprey aircraft crashed in northern Australia in August, resulting in the deaths of three US marines out of the 23 individuals on board.
Three marines lost their lives in 2017 when an Osprey aircraft crashed after making contact with the rear of a transport ship during an attempted water landing off the northern coast of Australia.