Eight people were rescued and three remained missing Wednesday after a US Navy plane crashed into the western Pacific Ocean while en route to the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagean, the Navy said.
The C-2 Greyhound transport plane went down about 500 nautical miles southeast of Okinawa as it was ferrying passengers and cargo from Japan to the carrier, US 7th Fleet officials said.
All of the rescued personnel were transferred to the Reagan for medical evaluation and were in good condition. Their names were being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
The carrier was operating in the Philippine Sea during a joint exercise with Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force when the twin-prop plane crashed at 2:45 p.m. Japan time.
Japan’s Defense Ministry said the crash site is about 90 miles northwest of Okinotorishima, a Japanese atoll.
Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters that the US Navy had informed him that the crash may have been a result of engine trouble, Reuters reported.
Philippine military spokesman Maj. Gen. Restituto Padilla said his military alerted its ships and aircraft shortly after learning about the crash but could not provide help because of the distance from the country.
The joint exercise off Okinawa has been described by the Navy as the “premier training event” between the American and Japanese navies.
The Navy’s Japan-based 7th Fleet has had two fatal accidents in Asian waters this year, leaving 17 sailors dead and prompting the removal of eight top Navy officers from their posts, including the 7th Fleet commander, Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin.
The USS John S. McCain and an oil tanker collided near Singapore in August, leaving 10 sailors dead. Seven sailors died in June when the USS Fitzgerald and a container ship collided off Japan.
In May, the guided missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain was struck by a South Korean fishing boat off the Korean peninsula. And in late January, the guided missile cruiser USS Antietam ran aground in Tokyo Bay, damaging its propellers.
The Navy has concluded that the collisions were avoidable and resulted from widespread failures by the crews and commanders, who didn’t quickly recognize and respond to unfolding emergencies.
A Navy report recommended numerous changes to address the problems, ranging from improved training to increasing sleep and stress management for sailors.
With Post wires
