U.S. and Japanese divers have discovered debris and the remains of five crew members from a US Air Force CV-22 Osprey aircraft that crashed off southwestern Japan on December 27, 2023. The aircraft was carrying eight American personnel when it crashed into the sea during a training mission.
The body of one victim was recovered and identified earlier. Two of the five newly located remains have been recovered, but their identities have not yet been determined. The search for the remaining two crew members is still ongoing.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Local witnesses reported seeing fire coming from one of the engines before the aircraft went down. The US military is continuing to fly Ospreys in the region, while Japan has grounded its own fleet of the aircraft until the cause of the crash is determined.
The recovery of the wreckage and remains is a significant development in the investigation, and it is hoped that it will help to determine the cause of the crash and prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future. The families of the deceased crew members have been notified and are being offered support by the US military.