Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Giannetti/U.S. Marine Corps(WASHINGTON) — Search and rescue operations are underway off the coast of Japan for a U.S. Marine Corps KC-130 refueling tanker and an F/A-18 fighter jet involved in a mishap, according to the Marines.

Two people have been found by Japanese Maritime Self Defense Forces, which is leading search and rescue efforts with both surface ships and aircraft, a spokesperson for III Marine Expeditionary Force in Japan.

The first person was in good condition, while the second person’s condition was unclear and they were taken to a local medical facility for evaluation.

There were five personnel on board the KC-130 and two on board the F/A-18 at the time of the incident, a Marine official told ABC News.

“The aircraft involved in the mishap had launched from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni and were conducting regularly scheduled training when the mishap occurred,” according to a Marine Corps Base Camp Butler statement on Wednesday.

The incident occurred about 200 miles off the coast of Iwakuni at 2 a.m. on Thursday, or about noon Wednesday, Eastern Standard Time.

The circumstances of the mishap were under investigation and no other information was available, according to the statement.

The last major U.S. military aircraft incident occurred in May when an Air National Guard C-130 cargo plane crashed outside Savannah, killing all nine personnel on board. A recent investigation determined that crash was due in part to pilot error. </s> The U.S. military said Tuesday that five missing crew members have been declared dead after their refueling plane collided with a fighter jet last week off Japan's southern coast, and that search and recovery operations have ended after finding only one survivor.

The five were on a KC-130 Hercules refueling aircraft that collided last Thursday with an F/A-18 Hornet during regular training. The warplanes crashed into the sea south of Japan's Shikoku island.

Two crew members in the F/A-18 were recovered after the accident, but one died. The U.S. Marines said the survivor was in stable condition when rescued.

The search, joined by Japanese and Australian forces, was halted Tuesday, and the cause of the crash is still under investigation, the Marines said in a statement.

It said the identities of the five people declared dead will be released after their next of kin are notified.

The Marines earlier identified the dead pilot of the F/A-18 as Capt. Jahmar Resilard, 28, of Miramar, Florida.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a message of condolences to U.S. President Donald Trump, while praying for a speedy recovery of the injured. Abe thanked American troops for their dedication and vowed to cooperate with Trump to further strengthen their alliance to promote regional peace and stability.

"The loss of the outstanding members of U.S. Marine Corps is my deepest regret, and I myself and the Japanese people share deep sorrow of the American people," Abe said. "Japan-U.S. alliance is supported by the dedication of each U.S. military personnel, and I offer my heartfelt condolences to the victims."

The crew members of the refueling aircraft were based at Iwakuni air station near Hiroshima as part of the Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, whose call sign is Sumo.

"All of us in the Sumo family are extremely saddened following the announcement of the conclusion of search and rescue operation," the squadron's commanding officer, Lt. Col. Mitchell T. Maury, said in the statement. "We know this difficult decision was made after all resources were exhausted in the vigorous search for the Marines."

"Our thoughts are heavy and our prayers are with all family and friends of all five aircrew," Maury said.

The Marines statement said it has not been confirmed whether the two planes were involved in aerial refueling when the collision occurred.

The crash is the latest in a series of recent accidents involving U.S. military forces deployed in and near Japan.

Last month, a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan crashed into the sea southwest of Japan's southern island of Okinawa, though its two pilots were rescued. In mid-October, a MH-60 Seahawk also belonging to the Ronald Reagan crashed off the Philippine Sea shortly after takeoff, causing non-fatal injuries to a dozen sailors.

Two years ago, a MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft Osprey crashed during a nighttime refueling exercise off the southern island of Okinawa, injuring two crew members.

More than 50,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Japan under a security pact. </s> TOKYO — Search operations continued Thursday for five missing U.S. Marines after a pair of planes carrying seven Marines collided about 200 miles off Japan in a refueling accident, U.S. and Japanese authorities said.

The planes, a KC-130 extended-range tanker carrying five crew members and an F/A-18 combat jet carrying two, "came in contact in the air" and crashed into the sea at around 1:42 a.m. Thursday (11:42 a.m. ET Wednesday), said Yoshihide Suga, Japan's chief cabinet secretary.

The Japanese Defense Ministry said Friday local time that the two other Marines had been rescued.

The Marines said one of them was taken back to base for treatment. There was no immediate information on the second rescued Marine.

The aircraft had launched from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, on a regularly scheduled training exercise, the Marines said. Suga said the Defense Ministry had asked the United States for more information. </s> Five U.S. Marines missing after their aircraft collided last week over the ocean off Kochi Prefecture were declared dead Tuesday, the Marine Corps said in a statement announcing the end of its search and rescue operations.

“After an update from the Joint Personnel Recovery Center, and a review of all available information, I have made the determination to end the search and rescue operations for the crew of our KC-130J aircraft which was involved in a mishap off the southern coast of Japan and to declare that these Marine warriors are deceased,” Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, the III Marine Expeditionary Force’s commanding general, said in the statement.

Smith said the KC-130’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders had not been located, “making it premature to speculate about wreckage recovery.”

Search operations, which also included vessels from the Self-Defense Forces, the Japan Coast Guard and the Australian military, began almost immediately after the KC-130 tanker plane collided with an F/A-18 fighter jet in midair during routine training early Thursday. Two marines from the fighter jet were rescued on the day of the crash, but one later was pronounced dead. Both aircraft were based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

The U.S. military has categorized the crash as a “Class A” accident, the most severe category in its four-level scale.

“Every possible effort was made to recover our crew and I hope the families of these selfless Americans will find comfort in the incredible efforts made by U.S., Japanese and Australian forces during the search,” Smith said.

U.S. Forces Japan head Lt. Gen. Jerry Martinez echoed this sentiment, thanking Japan and Australia for their efforts.

“I am incredibly proud of and grateful for the efforts of the U.S. military along with our Japanese and Australian partners,” Martinez said. “Support from the Japan Self Defense Forces and Coast Guard was immediate and life-saving, and I thank them for their professionalism, dedication and robust support throughout this massive operation.”

The U.S. Marines said the cause of the crash is currently under investigation, but noted that it is unclear whether aerial refueling was underway when the accident occurred.

Difficult refueling maneuvers would have been complicated by a lack of sunlight and the weather at the time. During such maneuvers, the smaller fighter approaches from the rear of the KC-130, which has a fuel line trailing behind. An extendable nozzle is then “plugged-in” to allow fuel to flow.

Accidents involving U.S. military aircraft have become a sensitive topic in Japan in recent years after a spate of crashes — especially in Okinawa Prefecture, which is home to the bulk of U.S. military facilities in the country.

In June, a U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter jet crashed in waters off Okinawa during a routine training mission. The pilot successfully ejected and was safely recovered by an Air Self-Defense Force search and rescue team.

In November last year, a C-2 cargo plane carrying 11 passengers and supplies from the base at Iwakuni to the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan crashed in the Philippine Sea during an annual bilateral maritime field-training exercise with the MSDF. Eight people aboard the plane were rescued, but three died in the accident. </s> TOKYO, Japan — The U.S. military said Tuesday that five missing crew members have been declared dead after their refueling plane collided with a fighter jet last week off Japan's southern coast, and that search and recovery operations have been halted.

The five were on a KC-130 Hercules refueling aircraft that collided last Thursday with an F/A-18 Hornet during regular training. The warplanes crashed into the sea south of Japan's Shikoku island.

Two crew members in the F/A-18 were recovered after the accident, but one died. The U.S. Marines said the survivor was in stable condition when rescued.

The search, joined by Japanese and Australian forces, was halted Tuesday, and the cause of the crash is still under investigation, the Marines said in a statement.

It said the identities of the five people declared dead will be released after their next of kin are notified.

The Marines earlier identified the dead pilot of the F/A-18 as Capt. Jahmar Resilard, 28, of Miramar, Florida.

The crew members of the refueling aircraft were based at Iwakuni air station near Hiroshima as part of the Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, whose call sign is Sumo.

"All of us in the Sumo family are extremely saddened following the announcement of the conclusion of search and rescue operation," the squadron's commanding officer, Lt. Col. Mitchell T. Maury, said in the statement. "We know this difficult decision was made after all resources were exhausted in the vigorous search for the Marines."

"Our thoughts are heavy and our prayers are with all family and friends of all five aircrew," Maury said.

The Marines statement said it has not been confirmed whether the two planes were involved in aerial refueling when the collision occurred.

The crash is the latest in a series of recent accidents involving U.S. military forces deployed in and near Japan.

Last month, a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan crashed into the sea southwest of Japan's southern island of Okinawa, though its two pilots were rescued. In mid-October, a MH-60 Seahawk also belonging to the Ronald Reagan crashed off the Philippine Sea shortly after takeoff, causing non-fatal injuries to a dozen sailors.

Two years ago, a MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft Osprey crashed during a night-time refueling exercise off the southern island of Okinawa, injuring two crew members.

More than 50,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Japan under a security pact. </s> (TOKYO) — The U.S. military has declared five missing crew members dead after their refueling plane collided with a fighter jet last week off Japan’s southern coast, and halted search and recovery operations.

The five crew members were on a KC-130 refueling aircraft that collided last Thursday with an F/A-18 Hornet during regularly scheduled training.

Two crew members in the F/A-18 were recovered after the accident, but one died. The U.S. Marines said the survivor was in stable condition when rescued.

It said in a statement that the identities of the five people declared dead will be released after their next of kin are notified.

The crew members were based at Iwakuni air station near Hiroshima. </s> Six missing after two US military planes crash off Japan

TOKYO: Six US marines were missing after two American military aircraft crashed on Thursday during a refuelling operation off the coast of Japan, said officials.

The two planes -- an F-18 fighter and a C-130 tanker -- were involved in a "mishap about 200 miles off of the coast of Japan around 2:00 am" according to a statement from the US Marines in Japan.

A US defense official told AFP there had been a crash after the plane took off from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in southern Japan.

A spokesman for Japan´s Self-Defense Forces said that one of the airmen had been rescued but the immediate fate of the remaining crew members was unclear.

The crew member was being assessed by doctors, the Marine statement said, adding that "the search and rescue operations continue for the remaining six."

The C-130 was thought to be carrying five servicemen and the F-18 two, said the Japanese official, who added that Japan had scrambled four aircraft and three ships in the search.

US media also reported five crew on the C-130 and two on the F-18.

"We are thankful for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force´s efforts as they immediately responded in the search and rescue operation," the Marines said.

The planes took off from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in southern Japan and were "conducting regularly scheduled training when the mishap occurred," the statement said.

The circumstances of the mishap are currently under investigation, the military added.

The US military has about 50,000 troops stationed in Japan and accidents are not uncommon.

In November, a US navy fighter jet crashed into the sea off Japan´s southern island of Okinawa and its two crew members were rescued alive.

The US military has also experienced difficulties with its Osprey helicopters, with several emergency landings, a deadly crash and a piece of the chopper falling on the grounds of a Japanese school.

Those incidents have stoked tensions between close military allies Washington and Tokyo and led to protests against the deployment of Ospreys by residents living near US bases. </s> Tokyo – A Marine refueling plane and a fighter jet crashed into the Pacific Ocean off Japan’s southwestern coast after a midair collision early Thursday, and rescuers found one of the seven crew members in stable condition while searching for the others, officials said.

The U.S. Marine Corps said that the 2 a.m. crash involved an F/A-18 fighter jet and a KC-130 refueling aircraft during regular training after the planes took off from their base in Iwakuni, near Hiroshima in western Japan.

The crash took place 200 miles off the coast.

Japan’s Defense Ministry said the aircraft carrying seven crew members in total collided and crashed into the sea south of the Muroto Cape on Shikoku island in southwestern Japan.

The Maritime Self-Defense Force, which dispatched aircraft and vessels to join in the search operation, said Japanese rescuers found one of the crew members in stable condition. The Marine Corps said the rescued crew was taken to a hospital at its base in Iwakuni and was being treated, but did not provide any other details.

Japanese officials said two crew members were in the F/A-18, and five others in the KC-130.

The crash is the latest in recent series of accidents involving the U.S. military deployed to and near Japan.

Last month, a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan crashed into the sea southwest of Japan’s southern island of Okinawa, though its two pilots were rescued safely. In mid-October, a MH-60 Seahawk also belonging to the Ronald Reagan crashed off the Philippine Sea shortly after takeoff, causing non-fatal injuries to a dozen sailors.

More than 50,000 U.S. troops are based in Japan under the bilateral security pact.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> Two U.S. Marine aircraft crashed early Thursday during a refueling drill, leaving five crew members missing after two were rescued off the coast of Kochi Prefecture later in the day.

A KC-130 air-refueling tanker and an F/A-18 fighter jet were involved in what the military termed a “mishap” in the early morning hours. One crew member was rescued later in the morning by the Maritime Self Defense Force and sent to a hospital, while another was rescued later in the day, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry. The Marine Corps said the second marine had been transported to a local hospital. One of the two was a crew member of the F/A-18.

The F/A-18 had two crew members while five were aboard the KC-130.

“Search and rescue operations continue for U.S. Marine Corps aircraft that were involved in a mishap … off of the coast of Japan around 2:00 a.m.,” the Marine Corps said in a statement.

Tokyo said the crash had occurred around 100 km off Cape Muroto in Kochi Prefecture.

The statement said the aircraft involved had taken off from U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture, and had been “conducting regularly scheduled training.” The Iwakuni base is home to the sole forward-deployed marine squadron of F-35 stealth fighter jets.

The Marine Corps said the cause of the accident was under investigation, but the difficult refueling maneuver would have been complicated by a lack of sunlight and any difficult weather conditions at the time.

During the refueling, the smaller fighter approaches from the rear of the KC-130, which has a fuel line trailing behind. An extendable nozzle is then “plugged in” to allow fuel to flow.

After learning of the crash, Japanese search and rescue aircraft “immediately responded to aid in recovery,” the Marine Corps said. The U.S. military’s III Marine Expeditionary Force, headquartered in Okinawa Prefecture, expressed gratitude to the MSDF for the help.

“Extremely thankful and grateful for our Japanese Self Defense Force partners and their help in the search and recovery efforts,” the III Marine Expeditionary Force’s public affairs section wrote on its official Twitter account.

Accidents involving U.S. military aircraft have become a sensitive topic in Japan in recent years after a spate of crashes — especially in Okinawa Prefecture, which is home to the bulk of U.S. military facilities in the country.

Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya told a televised news conference that while Japan is concerned, it was now focusing on helping find the missing marines.

“The incident is regrettable, but our focus at the moment is on search and rescue,” Iwaya told a news conference. “Japan will respond appropriately once the details of the incident are uncovered.”

In June, a U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter jet crashed in waters off Okinawa Prefecture during a routine training mission. The pilot successfully ejected and was safely recovered by an Air Self-Defense Force search and rescue team.

In November last year, a U.S. C-2 cargo plane carrying 11 passengers and supplies from the base at Iwakuni to the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan crashed during an annual bilateral maritime field-training exercise with the MSDF. Eight people were rescued and three died in the accident.

Staff writer Sakura Murakami contributed to this report
A search and rescue operation is underway for 7 servicemen after an incident involving a US Marine Corp F/A-18 fighter jet and a KC-130 refueling aircraft off the coast of Japan.