Bodies of remaining SDF jet crew members found on Kagoshima mountain (Japan)
Defense Ministry officials said Friday the remaining two crew members of an Air Self-Defense Force jet that disappeared from radar earlier this week have been found showing no signs of life on a mountain in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kagoshima.
The four other members of the U-125 flight inspection aircraft were also found lifeless the previous day on the same mountain, Mt. Takakuma, which straddles the cities of Kanoya and Tarumizu in the prefecture.
"It is extremely regrettable and sad that competent crew members with a bright future ahead suffered such an accident," Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said, adding the ministry will look into the cause.
The SDF, police and firefighters had been searching for the missing aircraft and its six crew since it went missing around 2:35 p.m. Wednesday.
The search team was also preparing to transport the recovered bodies to the Maritime Self-Defense Force's air base in Kanoya, where the jet took off before disappearing from the radar.
The wreckage of the jet was found scattered over some 200 to 300 meters in an area some 600 meters east of the peak of Mt. Takakuma, according to the ministry.
At the crash site, about 20 investigators dispatched from the ASDF's aircraft accident investigation committee are trying to recover the jet's flight recorder and voice recorder for clues as to the cause of the fatal crash.
The U-125, belonging to the Flight Check Squadron at the ASDF's Iruma Air Base in Sayama, Saitama Prefecture, was captained by a major in his 40s. Other members were a co-pilot, two onboard engineers and two radio operations personnel.
The aircraft left Iruma base shortly before 9 a.m. Wednesday and arrived at MSDF's Kanoya Air Base past noon.
The latest accident follows the crash of an MSDF helicopter in February last year on a mountain in neighboring Miyazaki Prefecture after leaving the Kanoya base. Three crew members were killed in the incident.
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