Seven missing after U.S. military aircraft 'mishap' off Japan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Search and rescue efforts were under way off Japan after two U.S. Marine Corps aircraft crashed in a still-unexplained mishap, leaving seven U.S. military personnel missing, U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday.
The Marine Corps offered little information in a statement about the incident, which occurred at 2 a.m. on Thursday in Japan.
The aircraft had launched from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni and were conducting regularly scheduled training when there was a "mishap," the Marine Corps said.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said one of the aircraft was an F/A 18 fighter jet, while the other was a KC-130 refuelling aircraft, with a combined total of seven personnel aboard.
Officials who spoke on condition of anonymity were unsure how the mishap may have occurred but none suspected foul play. An investigation had begun.
The Marine Corps said Japanese search and rescue aircraft immediately responded to aid in recovery efforts. It was unclear if U.S. military officials were also assisting with the search.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by G Crosse and Peter Cooney)
