Kyoto News/Getty Images/File
An Osprey takes off from U.S. Army Port Facilities in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan on March 20, 2023.
Tokyo
CNN
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A U.S. military Osprey aircraft crashed Wednesday off the coast of Japan’s Yakushima island in southern Kagoshima Prefecture, with eight people on board, according to a Japan Coast Guard spokesman.
The Coast Guard received information about the accident around 2:47 p.m. local time (12:47 a.m. ET), a spokesman said, and the 10th Coast Guard Region headquarters dispatched a patrol boat and aircraft to the crash site.
A spokesman said there was no immediate word on whether there were any injuries.
This is the latest Fatal crash involving an Osprey military aircraftMany accidents have been reported over the years.
In August this year, an Osprey aircraft crashed during a military exercise, killing three US Marines and injuring several others. Australia.
In 2022, Five US Marines Died when their MV-22B Osprey crashed during a training mission near Glamis, California. That same year four US service members were killed when their Osprey crashed during a NATO exercise in Norway.
The Osprey is a highly maneuverable aircraft that can take off vertically like a helicopter, but also perform the high-speed cruise of a conventional turboprop aircraft with wings.
In general, the Osprey is safe to fly, but the plane has had a history of mechanical and operational problems since its inception in the 1980s, according to CNN military analyst and retired U.S. Air Force Col. Cedric Leighton.
