US military plane carrying 8 people crashes into sea off coast of Japan sparking frantic rescue mission

A US military CV-22 Osprey aircraft with eight people on board has crashed into the ocean in western Japan.

Japan’s Ministry of Defense says the transport plane went down near Yakushima island in the Kagoshima prefecture on Wednesday.

The aircraft belonged to Yokota Air Base and was on its way to Kadena in Okinawa from Iwakuni, but changed course towards Yakushima before going down in the sea.

At around 2:47PM local time, Kagoshima police received a report of an Osprey with one of its engines on fire near Yakushima Airport.

A spokesperson for Japan’s coast guard said it had no further details of the incident, including the status of those onboard.

Anti-base protesters in Japan often argue that the Osprey is a dangerous aircraft that is prone to accidents.

In August, three US Marines were killed after an Osprey crashed off the coast of Australia while transporting troops during a routine military exercise.