(UnitedVoice.com) – The United States has the best military in the world. In order to stay at the top, service members are constantly training. Sadly, another of those training missions has ended in tragedy.
On November 29, a US military Osprey aircraft went down in the waters off of southern Japan. The crash took place near Yakushima, an island near the Kagoshima region. Eight people were on board when the aircraft crashed.
A spokesperson for the regional coast guard spoke to NBC News and confirmed one man was pulled from the sea just under 2 miles from Anbo Port. He was not conscious or breathing. Personnel on a boat from the Yakushima Town Rescue Center performed CPR on the man, but it was too late, and he was pronounced dead.
On Thursday, November 30, a search was underway for the other seven crew members. The US Air Force told the press that the cause of the accident was not yet known. Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft’s engine on fire as it approached the airport before it went down.
Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara spoke about the accident in parliament, according to Reuters. The official said the crash has caused “great anxiety to the people of the region.” Kihara asked the US to ground the rest of the Ospreys operating in Japan until they’re deemed safe. The Japan Self-Defense Forces have already grounded their fleet of the aircraft.
Ospreys are controversial because they are prone to accidents. In August, another one crashed, killing three US Marines. Since its development, more than 50 people have died in Osprey crashes.
However, the US didn’t honor that request. Speaking to reporters later, the defense minister said the Japanese government had counted at least 20 takeoffs and landings by 3:30 p.m. local time on Thursday. Rahm Emanuel, the US ambassador to Japan, said the US government’s “focus is on the ongoing search and rescue operations” and hoping for a safe return.
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