US Military Aircraft Crashes Off Japan Coast

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Facts

  • A US Military Osprey aircraft with eight people on board crashed into the sea off Western Japan on Wednesday, killing at least one crew member.[1]
  • The Japanese Coast Guard confirmed it had found the wreckage of the tilt-rotor V-22 Osprey and the deceased's remains near Yakushima Island. Fishing boats reportedly found three people, but their conditions are unclear.[1]
  • According to the Air Force Special Operations Command, the CV-22B Osprey was involved in a 'mishap while performing a routine training mission off the shore of Yakushima Island.'[2]
  • Deployed at the Yokota Air Base and assigned to the 353rd Special Operations Wing, the aircraft reportedly took off from US Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni and crashed on its way to Kadena Air Base.[3]
  • While the cause of the crash is still being investigated, a search and rescue operation is underway to find the missing personnel.[4]
  • Wednesday's crash comes after three US Marines crashed their MV-22B Osprey during a multinational military exercise in Australia in August.[5]

Sources: [1]Reuters, [2]NBC, [3]Associated Press, [4]CNN and [5]CBS.

Narratives

  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Reuters. The US Military continues to deploy Ospreys despite several high-profile deadly crashes in recent years and a history of mechanical and operational issues. Japan must stop all Ospreys operating in its territory until the US can ensure the hybrid aircraft is safe to fly.
  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Space. The V-22 — which can take off and land like a helicopter but can rotate its propellers forward and cruise much faster like a plane — expands the operational range of military units exponentially. Though it's often termed the most controversial US military aircraft, the Osprey isn't even close to the most lethal to fly.

Predictions