US plane carrying 11 people crashes en route to aircraft carrier near Japan

A US Navy plane carrying 11 people crashed in the sea northeast of Japan's Okinawa Islands this afternoon, November 22, a statement from the US Navy's 7th Fleet said.

US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. Photo: Military

According to the announcement, the plane crashed at around 2:45 p.m. today, November 22, while carrying 11 people on its way to the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier operating in Philippine waters.

The identities of those on board the plane have not yet been released, while the cause of the accident and the number of casualties are also unknown.

The USS Ronald Reagan has been deployed to join the search and rescue effort.

Meanwhile, Japan's NHK said that eight people have been rescued, but their condition is unknown. According to NHK, the crashed plane was a C2 transport plane.

This is the latest in a series of accidents for the US Navy since the beginning of this year. Less than a week ago, a US destroyer collided with a Japanese tugboat in Sagami Bay, off the east coast of Japan.

In June, seven US sailors died when the destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with a Philippine cargo ship. In August, 10 sailors from the USS John S. McCain died when it collided with a cargo ship in the Strait of Malacca, off the coast of Singapore.

According to Dantri