At least one dead as U.S. Air Force Osprey crashes in Southern Japan

According to a spokesperson from the Japan Coast Guard, a US military Osprey aircraft crashed off the coast of Japan's Yakushima Island in southern Kagoshima prefecture on Wednesday, resulting in the death of at least one person. The Coast Guard initially said that there were eight people on board, but later corrected the number to six.

No further information regarding the remaining individuals or the cause of the crash is currently available. The Coast Guard was alerted about the incident at 2:47 p.m. local time, and the 10th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters has dispatched a patrol boat and aircraft to the crash site.

Furthermore, the Yakushima Airport Management Office received a request from the US military for an emergency landing at Kagoshima Airport.

The Kagoshima prefectural official did not clarify whether the request came from the US Marines or Air Force.

This incident is the most recent in a series of crashes involving the Osprey military aircraft, which has been involved in numerous accidents over the years.

In August of this year, an Osprey crashed during military exercises in Australia, resulting in the deaths of three US Marines and serious injuries to several others.

In 2022, five US Marines lost their lives when their MV-22B Osprey plane crashed during a training mission near Glamis, California. Similarly, four US service members were killed that same year when their Osprey crashed during NATO training exercises in Norway.

The Osprey is a highly versatile aircraft capable of vertical take-off like a helicopter, as well as high-speed cruising resembling a conventional turboprop plane with wings.

Retired US Air Force Col. Cedric Leighton notes that while Ospreys are generally safe to fly, the aircraft has faced mechanical and operational challenges since its introduction in the 1980s.

According to CNN.