Last Updated: December 06, 2023, 07:26 IST
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
US Marine Corps picture exhibits three MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircrafts flying in formation above the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Sydney on June 29, 2017. (AFP File Photo)
Tragic loss as all eight airmen aboard crashed Osprey in Japan declared deceased. Recovery operations underway
All eight airmen who had been aboard an Osprey army plane that crashed off Japan are thought-about deceased, the US Air Force mentioned Tuesday. The Osprey — which may function like a helicopter or a fixed-wing turboprop airplane — disappeared final Wednesday close to the island of Yakushima, sparking an intense seek for survivors.
“The US military transitioned search and rescue operations to search and recovery operations,” which means “survivors are unlikely,” the Air Force Special Operations Command mentioned in a press release. “Of the eight airmen, the remains of three airmen have been recovered, the remains of another three airmen have been located and are in the process of being recovered, and the remains of two airmen are still being located,” it mentioned.
Offering his condolences, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin mentioned the army would “continue to gather information” on the incident and conduct “a rigorous and thorough investigation.” US President Joe Biden mentioned in a press release that “our entire nation mourns this tragic loss.” “Jill and I are praying for the families and friends who lost a loved one in this terrible accident,” Biden mentioned, referring to the primary girl.
Osprey plane have suffered a string of deadly accidents, together with a crash in northern Australia that killed three US Marines in August, and one other in Norway throughout NATO coaching workout routines final 12 months that left 4 useless. Three Marines had been additionally killed in 2017 when one other Osprey crashed off Australia’s north coast and 19 Marines died when their Osprey crashed throughout drills in Arizona in 2000. The United States quickly grounded the plane in Japan in 2016 after an Osprey crash-landed off Okinawa, sparking anger amongst locals.
Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara mentioned on Thursday he had requested the US army to once more droop Osprey flights — aside from search-and-rescue operations — and that Japan’s army had halted utilizing its personal Ospreys pending security checks. But the Pentagon mentioned the next day that solely the unit of the crashed CV-22 had stopped flying. It was not instantly clear if that halt was nonetheless in impact.
