Rescue operations were under way on Thursday (Dec 6) for five US marines missing after two American military aircraft crashed during a refuelling operation off the coast of Japan, the Japanese defence minister said. Two US Marine Corps aircraft - an F-18 fighter and a C-130 tanker - crashed during a refuelling operation off the coast of Japan. (Photo: AFP/EPA) One serviceman has already been rescued and is thought to be in a stable condition, Takeshi Iwaya told reporters. A spokesman for the Japanese Self-Defense (SDF) said another crew member had been found but there were no immediate details of the marine's condition. "US military and the Japanese Self-Defense planes and vessels are searching for those still missing ... I hope all the members will be rescued safely as soon as possible," Iwaya added. The marines were conducting "regularly scheduled training" when the crash occurred around 2am local time, the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force said in a statement. The F/A-18 … [Read more...] about 5 missing after two US Marine planes crash while refuelling off Japan
Marines helicopter crash
Six missing after two US military planes crash off Japan
In this July 14, 2015 photograph courtesy of the US Air Force, a C-130 Hercules takes off during a training exercise at Yokota Air Base, Japan. Two US Marine Corps aircraft crashed during a refueling operation off the coast of Japan, a US defence official said on Wednesday. The planes involved were an F-18 fighter and a C-130 tanker, the official said. — AFP/VNA PhotoViet Nam News TOKYO — Rescue operations were underway on Thursday for six US marines missing after two American military aircraft crashed during a refuelling operation off the coast of Japan, the Japanese defence minister said. One serviceman has already been rescued and is thought to be in a stable condition, Takeshi Iwaya told reporters. "US military and the Japanese Self-Defense planes and vessels are searching for those still missing... I hope all the members will be rescued safely as soon as possible," Iwaya added. The marines were conducting "regularly scheduled training" when the crash occurred … [Read more...] about Six missing after two US military planes crash off Japan
Six missing after two US military planes crash off Japan: officials
Six US marines were missing after two American military aircraft crashed on Thursday during a refuelling operation off the coast of Japan, officials from both countries told AFP. The two planes -- an F-18 fighter and a C-130 tanker -- were involved in a "mishap about 200 miles off of the coast of Japan around 2:00 am" according to a statement from the US Marines in Japan. A US defense official told AFP there had been a crash after the plane took off from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in southern Japan. A spokesman for Japan's Self-Defense Forces said that one of the airmen had been rescued but the immediate fate of the remaining crew members was unclear. The crew member was being assessed by doctors, the Marine statement said, adding that "the search and rescue operations continue for the remaining six." The C-130 was thought to be carrying five servicemen and the F-18 two, said the Japanese official, who added that Japan had scrambled four aircraft and three ships in the … [Read more...] about Six missing after two US military planes crash off Japan: officials
As US military air crash toll rises, lawmaker calls for probe
Viet Nam News WASHINGTON — A senior US lawmaker introduced legislation on Monday to create a panel looking into military aviation mishaps, following a string of deadly incidents including one last week that killed nine airmen. The US military has been beset by a series of air accidents and crashes in recent years, and the rise has been shown to correlate with budget cuts introduced in 2013. The most recent incident occurred May 2, when a Hercules C-130 cargo plane belonging to the Puerto Rico Air National Guard crashed in the southern state of Georgia, killing all nine people on board. Congressman Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, introduced a bill to establish an independent commission on military aviation safety. “We need to understand exactly what causes are contributing to military aviation accidents, how current rates compare to historic averages, and what steps we can take to improve military aviation safety," Smith said. The … [Read more...] about As US military air crash toll rises, lawmaker calls for probe
9 killed in fiery US military plane crash
Nine people were killed on Wednesday (May 2) after an ageing US military cargo crashed on its final scheduled flight before being mothballed, officials said. Flames and smoke rise from an Air National Guard C-130 cargo plane after it crashed near Savannah, Georgia, Wednesday, May 2, 2018. Photo soure: AP The C-130 "Hercules" cargo plane from the Puerto Rico Air National Guard crashed around 11.30am (11.30pm Singapore time) near the Savannah airport. Footage of the crash showed it falling from the sky then exploding in a fireball. Officials at first said five crewmembers were killed, but it later emerged that other people were also on board. "We've confirmed nine people, consisting of five crewmembers and four additional passengers" were on board, Puerto Rico National Guard spokesman Major Paul Dahlen said. He said the four others were also members of the military. Dahlen could not immediately confirm all nine had died, but said images of the crash spoke for … [Read more...] about 9 killed in fiery US military plane crash