A US military plane crashes in the sea off Japan, and the condition of its crew is unknown

TOKYO (Reuters) – A U.S. military plane with eight people on board crashed into the sea in western Japan on Wednesday, and fishermen reported that three people had been found but their condition was unknown.

The Coast Guard said it sent patrol boats and aircraft to the area where the V-22 Osprey crashed off Yakushima Island.

A representative of a local fisheries cooperative said that fishing boats in the area found three people in the surrounding waters.

A provincial government spokesman said the accident occurred near the island’s airport, where another Osprey plane landed successfully on Wednesday afternoon.

A spokesman for the American forces said that American forces in the region are still collecting information.

Media reported that the accident occurred shortly before three in the afternoon (0600 GMT), with witnesses saying that the plane’s left engine appeared to be on fire during its landing.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the plane disappeared from radar screens at 2:40 p.m. local time.

The aircraft, which can fly like a helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft, is operated by the US Marine Corps, US Navy and Japan Self-Defense Forces.

The deployment of the Osprey to Japan has been controversial, with critics saying it is prone to accidents. The US military and Japan say the area is safe.

In August, a US Osprey plane crashed off the coast of northern Australia while transporting soldiers during a routine military exercise, killing three US Marines.

Another plane fell into the ocean off the southern Japanese island of Okinawa in December 2016, prompting the United States to temporarily ground the plane.

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