A search ended Friday for three sailors missing in the Philippine Sea since a U.S. Navy aircraft crashed two days earlier, the navy said.
The C-2A ‘Greyhound’ transport aircraft was traveling to the USS Ronald Reagan when it crashed with eleven men on board.
Eight people were rescued quickly and are in good condition, but Japanese and U.S. ships and aircraft had continued searching for the others.
The Navy’s 7th Fleet said details of the three missing sailors were being withheld pending completion of notification of next of kin procedures.
A C-2A Greyhound assigned to Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 30 launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) on November 17 this year
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with our lost shipmates and their families,’ said Rear Adm. Marc Dalton.
‘As difficult as this is, we are thankful for the rapid and effective response that led to the rescue of eight of our shipmates, and I appreciate the professionalism and dedication shown by all who participated in the search efforts.’
The twin-propeller plane crashed about 500 nautical miles (925 kilometers) southeast of Okinawa while bringing passengers and cargo from Japan to the aircraft carrier.
The Reagan was participating in a joint exercise with Japan’s navy when the plane crashed. The carrier was leading the search and rescue efforts along with Japan’s naval forces.
The Navy describes the Nov. 16-26 joint exercise in waters off Okinawa as the ‘premier training event’ between the U.S. and Japanese navies, designed to increase defensive readiness and interoperability in air and sea operations.
The Japan-based 7th Fleet has had two fatal naval accidents in Asian waters this year, leaving 17 sailors dead and prompting the removal of eight top Navy officers from their posts, including the 7th Fleet commander.
In this image provided by the U.S. Navy, a C-2A Greyhound assigned to the Providers of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 30, prepares to land on the flight deck aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) on August 22 this year
In this March 14 photo a U.S. Navy C-2 Greyhound approaches the deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson during the annual joint military exercise called Foal Eagle between South Korea and the United States at an unidentified location in the international waters, east of the Korean Peninsula
The USS John S. McCain and an oil tanker collided near Singapore in August, leaving 10 U.S. sailors dead. Seven sailors died in June when the USS Fitzgerald and a container ship collided off Japan. The Navy has concluded the collisions were avoidable and recommended changes including improved training and increasing sleep and stress management for sailors.
The Fitzgerald left its home port in Yokosuka, Japan, on Friday to begin its journey to Pascagoula, Mississippi, for more repairs, the Navy said in a separate statement.
It said a heavy lift transport vessel, the Transshelf, will meet the Fitzgerald in deep water to begin lifting it to bring it back to the U.S.
Initial repairs to the Fitzgerald’s hull and other structures were done in a dry dock at Yokosuka before she returned to the water for return to the U.S. for final repairs, the statement said.
This photo was taken Monday October 2 showing the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier arriveing in Hong Kong