The U.S. Air Force says divers have discovered wreckage and remains of crew members from a U.S. Air Force Osprey plane that crashed off the coast of southwest Japan last week.
By means ofThe Associated Press
December 4, 2023, 4:25 am
Japan Coast Guard members carry debris, believed to be from the crashed US military Osprey aircraft, to a port in Yakushima, Kagoshima Prefecture, southern Japan, Monday, December 4, 2023. Japanese and US military divers saw what they say is the remains may be of a U.S. Air Force Osprey plane that crashed off the coast of southwestern Japan last week, and some of its six crew members still missing, local media reported Monday. (Kyodo News via AP)
The Associated Press
TOKYO — American and Japanese divers have discovered wreckage and remains of crew members from a U.S. Air Force Osprey plane that crashed off the coast of southwest Japan last week, the Air Force announced Monday.
The CV-22 Osprey with eight American crew members on board crashed off the coast of Yakushima island last Wednesday during a training mission. The body of one victim was previously recovered and identified, while seven others remained missing.
The Air Force Special Operations Command said the remains were recovered and their identities have yet to be determined.
“The main priority is getting the pilots home and taking care of their family members. Support for and the privacy of the families and loved ones affected by this incident remains AFSOC's top priority,” the report said.
The U.S. military identified the only confirmed casualty as Air Force Staff Sgt. Jacob Galliher of Pittsfield, Mass., on Saturday.
On Monday, Japanese Navy and U.S. Army divers spotted what appeared to be the forward part of the Osprey, along with possibly five of the missing crew members, Japanese public television NHK and other media reported.
Japanese naval officials declined to confirm the reports, saying they could not release details without U.S. permission
The US-made Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter, but can turn the propellers forward in flight and cruise much faster, just like an airplane.
Ospreys have had a number of crashes, including in Japan, where they are used on US and Japanese military bases, and the latest crash has reignited safety concerns.
Japan has suspended all flights of its own fleet of fourteen Ospreys.