TOKYO, Nov 29 (Reuters) - A U.S. military V-22 Osprey aircraft crashed near an island in western Japan on Wednesday with eight people onboard, Japan's coast guard said.
The aircraft disappeared from radar at 2:40 p.m. local time, Japan Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said.
Another crash-landed in the ocean off Japan's southern island of Okinawa in December 2016, prompting a temporary U.S. military grounding of the aircraft.
The deployment of the Osprey in Japan has been controversial, with critics saying the hybrid aircraft is prone to accidents.
The U.S. military and Japan say it is safe.
Persons:
Hirokazu Matsuno, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Tim Kelly, Satoshi Sugiyama, John Geddie, David Dolan, Gerry Doyle
Organizations:
Osprey, U.S, Marines, U.S . Marines, U.S . Navy, Japan Self Defense Forces, Thomson
Locations:
TOKYO, U.S, Japan, Australia, Okinawa