Japan suspends its Osprey flights after fatal US Air Force crash

Japan announced Thursday it was suspending all nonemergency Osprey flights after one of the hybrid aircraft crashed off the southwestern coast this week and killed at least one U.S. service member.

Japan’s chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a Thursday press briefing the suspension was effective until more information was available about the crash.

“Safety has to come first,” he said, saying Japan also had to take the situation “seriously.”

Japan’s defense minister also told parliament that it was suspending Osprey flights except for the emergency rescue operation underway to find the crashed aircraft.

“The occurrence of such a major accident causes great anxiety to the people of the region, and it is truly regrettable,” Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said.

It’s not clear how the U.S. might respond to the groundings. The Hill has reached out to the Air Force Special Operations Command for comment.

The Osprey, which was assigned to an air base in Tokyo, was carrying eight U.S. service members when it suddenly crashed off Japan’s southern coast Wednesday.

Emergency crews are still searching the waters for the crash. At least one crew member’s remains were recovered, but it’s still unknown what happened to the other seven.

The U.S. has struggled to rein in Osprey crashes for the better part of a decade, and a previous crash in 2016 off the Japanese island of Okinawa sparked concerns.

The Associated Press contributed.