MILITARY PLANE CRASH

US fighter jet missing after ‘plunging into the sea off Japanese coast’

The military aircraft, believed to be an AV8B Harrier II jet, is thought to have crashed after taking off from the southern island of Okinawa

A US fighter jet is missing after reportedly plunging into the sea off Japan's coast.

The military aircraft, believed to be an AV8B Harrier II jet, is thought to have crashed shortly after taking off from the southern island of Okinawa.

Advertisement
An AV-8B HarrIer II , similar to the jet that crashedCredit: Alamy

Japanese authorities dispatched the coastguard, with a helicopter and patrol boat hunting the downed jet.

The pilot ejected and was rescued by a team from the US Air Force, the Marine Expeditionary Force said in a statement.
"The cause of the incident is under investigation," the statement added.

The US Air Force is stationed at Kadena Air Base on the Japanese island.

It is thought the crash site is 150 kilometres east of the Cape Hedo village Kunimagi.

Although the vertical take-off and landing aircraft is a single-pilot plane, the training version has two seats.

Advertisement
, and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun, where we will bring you this story and all the rest of the top news and exclusives of the day.
is your go to destination for the best celebrity news, football news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video

machibet777.com