Remnants of the tragic incident involving a United States Air Force CV-22B Osprey that went down near Yakushima Island, Japan, on November 29, 2023, have been located as reported by the Air Force Special Operations Command. On December 4, 2023, during a joint U.S.-Japanese search and rescue operation in the Yakushima area, wreckage from the CV-22 mishap was discovered along with human remains.
The identities of the recovered remains have not yet been disclosed, pending further investigation, according to a statement released by the AFSOC. The primary focus remains on repatriating the airmen and extending support to their families during this distressing period.
Last week, the remains of Staff Sgt. Jacob M. Galliher from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, who was one of the eight airmen on board, were successfully retrieved. Further efforts have now led to the discovery of the remains of five additional crew members. However, their identities have not been confirmed at this time.
While two out of the five crew members have been recovered from the crash site, a concerted effort is ongoing to locate and recover the remaining individuals involved.
The recovery teams, consisting of surface vessels and diving units, made the grim discoveries during their relentless pursuit in the search and recovery operation, according to an AFSOC release.
The fatal incident occurred during a routine training mission, the Air Force had previously stated. Investigations into the cause of the mishap are currently ongoing.
The CV-22 Osprey has a history marked by mechanical and operational concerns, leading to several tragic accidents over the past three decades. This recent crash comes after a similar incident in Australia where three US Marines lost their lives while aboard an MV-22B Osprey during a military drill earlier this year.
Despite its troubled history, statistics reveal that the V-22’s accident rate is comparatively lower than other aircraft. According to Marine aviation spokesman Maj. Jorge Hernandez, the mishap rate for the Marine variant, the MV-22, stood at 3.16 per 100,000 flight hours as reported to Marine Corps Times in 2022.
