A US military V-22 Osprey plane crashed into the sea south of Japan on Wednesday, the Japanese coast guard told international news agencies. There were eight people on board the vehicle, a hybrid between an airplane and a helicopter. The Japanese coast guard does not yet know whether they survived the crash. According to witnesses, one of the engines was on fire as the Osprey plunged into the sea.
The Osprey can fly at 500 kilometers per hour and take off vertically, even from aircraft carriers. But its complicated design and folding wings make it prone to mechanical failure. From one summary from the American channel CNN shows that since 1992 fourteen accidents have occurred with the Osprey, both due to mechanical failure and human error.
For example, in August this year, three American soldiers were killed when an Osprey crashed during an international exercise in Australia. Another twenty soldiers were injured. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.