Air Force Confirms Discovery of Osprey Crash Debris in Japan
Wreckage and remains of the crashed US Air Force CV-22B Osprey have been located off Yakushima Island, Japan, as confirmed by Air Force Special Operations Command
The wreckage and remains from the United States Air Force CV-22B Osprey that crashed off the coast of Yakushima Island, Japan, last week were found on Monday, as reported by the Air Force Special Operations Command. In a joint U.S.-Japanese search and rescue dive near Yakushima on December 4, 2023, remains and wreckage from the CV-22 accident on November 29, 2023 were located, according to a statement from AFSOC.
The identities have yet to be determined at this time, according to the statement.
The AFSOC said their main priority is "bringing the Airmen home and taking care of their family members."
Last week, the remains of Staff Sgt. Jacob M. Galliher of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, who was 24 years old, were recovered. The aircraft had been carrying eight airmen when the accident took place on November 29.
The Air Force previously stated that the CV-22 Osprey was on a routine training mission at the time of the mishap, and the cause of the crash is still being investigated. This incident is part of a history of mechanical and operational issues, as well as several fatal incidents over the past 30 years. Just last week, three US Marines were killed in a crash involving a MV-22B Osprey during a military exercise in Australia.
The mishap rate of the V-22s is statistically lower than that of other aircraft. According to Marine aviation spokesman Maj. Jorge Hernandez, the Marine variant of the aircraft, the MV-22, had a mishap rate of 3.16 per 100,000 flight hours in 2022, as reported by Marine Corps Times.
