Tokyo: A US Navy aircraft carrying 11 people onboard reportedly crashed into the Philippine sea en route to US aircraft carrier, said the US sources on Wednesday.
In an official statement released, the Navy said, “A United States Navy aircraft carrying 11 crew and passengers crashed into the ocean southeast of Okinawa.”
The statement further stated that the “Personnel recovery is underway and their condition will be evaluated by USS Ronald Reagan medical staff adding that, “the aircraft was en route to the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, which is currently operating in the Philippine Sea.
“USS Ronald Reagan is conducting search and rescue operations. The cause of the crash is not known at this time,” it added.
The prevailing tensions between the US and the North Korea are resulting in the US military carrying out joint drills in the western Pacific region holding thousands of troops stationed in Japan and South Korea.
The USS Ronald Reagan was among the three American aircraft carriers present in the region to hold drills which were separately joined by the Japanese navy and the South Korean warships.
Earlier The USS John S McCain collided with a tanker off Singapore in August which killed 10 sailors along with injuring five others.
In the month of June, the USS Fitzgerald had reportedly crashed into a cargo ship off Japan which left seven sailors dead.