Japan has ended its search for five US marines who went missing after a suspected mid-air collision involving a fighter jet and a refuelling aircraft.
The US marines declared the missing men dead, almost a week after an FA-18 Hornet fighter jet and KC-130 Hercules tanker plane collided before crashing into the Pacific about 200 miles off Koichi prefecture in western Japan.
“We know this difficult decision was made after all resources were exhausted in the vigorous search for our marines,” said Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell Maury, commander of the US Marine Corps Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron.
“Our thoughts are heavy and our prayers are with all family and friends of all five aircrew.”
Japan’s maritime self-defence forces rescued two airmen from the fighter jet shortly after the accident, but one has since died. The only survivor is reported to be in a stable condition.
The defence ministry on Tuesday said it had decided to call off the search for the remaining men, all of whom were aboard the Hercules, as there were “no significant” clues as to their whereabouts.
The US military has described the crash as a class A incident – the most serious of its kind.
The planes had taken off from an air station at Iwakuni, west of Hiroshima, at around 2am local time last Wednesday and were conducting regularly scheduled training exercises when a “mishap” occurred.
Kyodo news reported that the airmen might have been taking part in a nighttime midair refuelling exercise – a difficult manoeuvre used on long-range flights – when the collision occurred.
US forced based in or near Japan have been involved in other serious accidents in recent years.
In November a US navy fighter jet from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan crashed into the sea off Japan’s southern island of Okinawa, home to around 50,000 US troops. Its two crew members were rescued alive.
In October an MH-60 Seahawk helicopter crashed on the Ronald Reagan’s flight deck shortly after takeoff in the Philippine Sea, injuring a dozen sailors.
The US military has also experienced difficulties with its Osprey helicopters in the US and other countries, with several emergency landings, deadly crashes and a piece of a chopper falling on the grounds of a Japanese school.
Wire agencies contributed to this report.
