Rises like a helicopter, flies like a plane: Crashed US warplane and remains found off Japan

Last week, an Osprey with eight American crew members crashed off the island of Yakushima during a training mission. One victim’s body was found and identified earlier, while seven other victims were reported missing.

via REUTERS-Scanpix photo.

The U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command said the remains are being recovered and have not yet been identified.

The remains of 5 people were found in the wreckage of the crashed plane

Rescuers from the United States and Japan found the human remains of five missing U.S. Air Force personnel whose Osprey crashed during a training exercise off the coast of Japan on Monday, the U.S. military said.

The US Air Force Special Operations Command reported that search teams were able to locate remains and debris from the main fuselage of the plane.

“Dive teams were able to confirm that five other crew members were involved in the crash, although eight crew members were initially reported to have been on board,” the statement said.

The US-made Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter, but can turn its propellers forward in flight and fly much faster like an airplane.

Several Ospreys have crashed in the past, including in Japan, where they are used on American and Japanese military bases. The latest crash has reignited concerns about the safety of these aircraft.