The United States confirmed on Wednesday that a V-22 Osprey aircraft belonging to the U.S. military, carrying eight people, had crashed off the coast of western Japan.
According to the Japanese Coast Guard, the crash site is off the coast of Yakushima Island, and search and rescue crews have sent patrol boats and planes to the area. According to Coast Guard officials, the crash claimed the life of at least one person, as reported by The Associated Press.
The Japanese Coast Guard discovered gray-colored debris roughly 0.6 miles off the island’s coast that they thought belonged to the Osprey, according to The AP. At first, the report stated that eight people were involved.
A representative for the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command verified that eight service members were present in the crash, despite early reports indicating that there were only six.
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“While conducting a routine training mission off the coast of Yakushima Island, Japan, a United States Air Force CV-22B Osprey from Yokota Air Base, Japan, assigned to the 353rd Special Operations Wing, experienced an aircraft mishap involving eight airmen. The current state of the crew is unknown. Search and rescue operations are being carried out by emergency personnel on the scene. As of right now, the accident’s cause is unknown. As more information becomes available, it will be released,” the spokesperson informed Fox News Digital.
The U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marines, U.S. Navy, and Japan Self-Defense Forces all fly tilt-rotor versions of the aircraft, which can fly like fixed-wings and helicopters.
According to local authorities, Japanese media reported that witnesses saw the aircraft’s left engine on fire as it descended at approximately 2:47 p.m. local time near the island’s airport.
Shortly before the crash at 2:40 p.m., it vanished from radar, as Japan Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno reported via Reuters.
The aircraft’s deployment in Japan has generated controversy despite assurances from the Japanese and US militaries that it is safe, with some arguing that it is accident-prone.
During a routine troop-transporting exercise in August, an Osprey crashed off the coast of northern Australia, killing three U.S. Marines.
In December 2016, another crashed into the ocean off Okinawa, leading to the aircraft’s temporary grounding.
