5 bodies found after US military aircraft crashed near Japan

Remains were found from the wreckage of a U.S. Air Force CV-22B Osprey that crashed near the coast of Yakushima Island, Japan, last week, military officials announced Monday.  

Japanese and U.S. ships and dive teams had searched for the aircraft since it crashed Wednesday flying from Yokota Air Base on a routine training mission. Air Force officials said rescuers confirmed five additional crew members were involved in the incident.

On Monday, rescue teams located the wreckage, including the main fuselage – or body of the aircraft, officials said. The Air Force Special Operations Command said two of the five crew members have been recovered.

Recovery of the remaining crew members is an ongoing effort, according to a statement from Air Force Special Operations Command. Their identities have not been released.

Military officials on Friday confirmed that one person had been recovered in the wreckage. The other service members were listed as "duty status-whereabouts unknown." The military said families of the crew members have been offered support.

"Our focus is to enable the ongoing, extensive 24/7 search and rescue operation while we care for the family and loved ones impacted by this mishap," said Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind in a statement. "As search and rescue operations continue, our joint force and Japanese allies stand united in our determination to bring our Air Commandos home."

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One crew member confirmed dead in the crash

Air officials said Japanese first responders located and recovered the first known casualty of the aircraft crash on Friday.

The next day, officials identified the crew member as U.S. Air Force staff Sgt. Jacob “Jake” M. Galliher, 24, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He enlisted in 2017 and was a direct support operator based at Kadena Air Base in Japan. 

"Jacob was a beloved husband, father, son, and brother as well as a model Airman who will be forever remembered for his dedication to this great nation and his fellow warriors," said U.S. Air Force Maj. Gilbert Summers in a statement. "With a ready smile, Jake brought the unit together on and off-duty through humor and an inexhaustible supply of energy, whether it was on the aircraft, in the gym, or on the slopes with the team."

Galliher was an airborne linguist specializing in Chinese Mandarin, officials said in the release. He was previously assigned to the 25th Intelligence Squadron out of Hurlburt Field, Florida.

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Osprey’s history of military aircraft incidents

A V-22 Osprey is a military aircraft similar to a helicopter manufactured by Bell Boeing used to transport "troops, equipment and supplies from assault ships and land bases," according to the Marines. The hybrid aircraft is also flown by the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy.

The aircraft had several crashes that have led to fatalities in the last few decades. At least 16 people have died in five crashes involving Ospreys since 2012.

Last week’s crash comes about three months after an Osprey aircraft operated by the Marine Corps crashed in Melville Island, Australia, during a training exercise, killing three Marines and injuring 20 others.

In June 2022, five Marines were killed after an aircraft crashed in California because of a mechanical failure related to the clutch, the Associated Press reported.

Contributing: The Associated Press