There were reports that an American military transport aircraft, the Osprey, had crashed off the coast of Yakushima in Kagoshima Prefecture on the afternoon of November 29. Upon receiving word, the 10th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters deployed aircraft and patrol vessels to the location. The Osprey is probably a facility of the Yokota Air Base of the United States military.
At 2:47 p.m. on the 29th, the 10th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters was notified of the Osprey, a transport aircraft accident near Yakushima, Kagoshima Prefecture.
The Osprey, which belonged to the United States military, reportedly carried eight individuals; however, specific details regarding the extent of injuries sustained remain undisclosed at this time.
Based on information provided by Kagoshima Prefecture, Yakushima Town has determined that the disaster occurred in the sea east of the Awa district, off the eastern coast of Yakushima.
A 110 emergency contact was received by Kagoshima Prefecture at 2:37 p.m., indicating that an Osprey executed an emergency landing in the vicinity of Yakushima Airport while its left engine was emitting flames.
As reported by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism officials, Osprey reportedly set sail from the Iwakuni Base in Yamaguchi Prefecture, operated by the United States military, to reach the Kadena Base in Okinawa Prefecture.
At 2:30 p.m., the Japan Meteorological Agency reported that the sky was mostly clear near Yakushima, with a moderate wind speed of 1.9 metres per second.
No advisories or warnings were issued during that period. Aircraft and patrol vessels are presently being dispatched to the location by the 10th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters.
As per information obtained from Ministry of Defence sources, the crashed aircraft is a CV-22 Osprey registered to the Yokota Air Base in Tokyo, operated by the United States military.
Concerning the whereabouts of the incident, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism representatives estimate that it transpired in the water, roughly two to four kilometres to the southeast of Yakushima Airport.
There is conjecture regarding the possibility that the Osprey’s destination was altered.
As per Ministry of Defence sources, the Osprey was reportedly en route from Iwakuni Base to Kadena Base when its intended destination was altered to Yakushima. As the aircraft approached Yakushima Airport, it encountered an accident.
Concerning previous occurrences involving Osprey aircraft, a notable amount of damage was caused when, in December 2016, Osprey executed an emergency landing in a shallow vicinity close to a village in Nago City, Okinawa. A water bottle was lost from an Osprey aircraft departing from the US military Futenma Base in Ginowan City, Okinawa, in November 2021. The bottle ultimately landed on a residential property. Although there were no reported injuries, the local populace conveyed their apprehensions and disgust.
Two Ospreys executed emergency landings at New Ishigaki Airport in Ishigaki City during September of the year, as mentioned earlier.
