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Japan Times
23-05-2025
- General
- Japan Times
Two ASDF crew members confirmed dead in training plane crash in Aichi
The Air Self-Defense Force confirmed on Thursday that the remains recovered from a training plane crash last week were those of two crew members. The ASDF's T-4 training aircraft crashed near a lake in Aichi Prefecture immediately after taking off from the Komaki Air Base last week. "The deaths of its two crew members were confirmed today," Hiroaki Uchikura, head of the ASDF, told a news conference. "It is gut-wrenching that we lost the precious lives of our comrades," Uchikura said. A search after the crash soon led to the discovery of what appeared to be remains, but officials could not immediately identify them. However, "a subsequent official analysis confirmed, much to our sorrow, that they belong to the two soldiers on board whom we had been looking for," Uchikura said. He said he "takes the accident seriously" and that the ASDF "will do our best to identify the cause and improve aviation safety." The T-4 seats two and is a "domestically produced, highly reliable and maintainable training aircraft ... used for all basic flight courses," according to the Defense Ministry website. Aerial footage of the lake soon after the crash, broadcast by NHK, showed an oil slick on its surface dotted with what appeared to be debris.
CNA
22-05-2025
- General
- CNA
Two Japanese soldiers confirmed killed in training plane crash
TOKYO: The Japanese military confirmed on Thursday (May 22) that remains recovered from the crash of a training plane last week were those of two soldiers. The Air Self-Defense Force's T-4 training aircraft crashed near a lake in central Japan's Aichi region immediately after taking off at its Komaki Air Base last week. "The deaths of its two crew members were confirmed today," Hiroaki Uchikura, head of the ASDF, told a news conference. "It is gut-wrenching that we lost these precious lives of our comrades," Uchikura said. A search after the crash soon led to the discovery of what appeared to be remains but officials could not immediately identify them. However, "a subsequent official analysis confirmed, much to our sorrow, that these belong to two soldiers on board that we had been looking for", Uchikura said. He said he "takes the accident seriously" and "will do our best to identify the cause and improve aviation safety". The T-4 seats two and is a "domestically produced, highly reliable and maintainable training aircraft ... used for all basic flight courses", according to the defence ministry website. Aerial footage of the lake soon after the crash broadcast by NHK showed an oil slick on its surface dotted with what appeared to be debris.
Straits Times
22-05-2025
- General
- Straits Times
Two Japanese soldiers confirmed killed in training plane crash
The T-4 training aircraft crashed near a lake in central Japan's Aichi region immediately after taking off. PHOTO: AFP TOKYO - The Japanese military confirmed on May 22 that remains recovered from the crash of a training plane last week were those of two soldiers. The Air Self-Defense Force's (ASDF) T-4 training aircraft crashed near a lake in central Japan's Aichi region immediately after taking off at its Komaki Air Base last week. 'The deaths of its two crew members were confirmed today,' Mr Hiroaki Uchikura, head of the ASDF, told a news conference. 'It is gut-wrenching that we lost these precious lives of our comrades,' Mr Uchikura said. A search after the crash soon led to the discovery of what appeared to be remains but officials could not immediately identify them. However, 'a subsequent official analysis confirmed, much to our sorrow, that these belong to two soldiers on board that we had been looking for', Mr Uchikura said. He said he 'takes the accident seriously' and 'will do our best to identify the cause and improve aviation safety'. The T-4 seats two and is a 'domestically produced, highly reliable and maintainable training aircraft... used for all basic flight courses', according to the Defence Ministry website. Aerial footage of the lake soon after the crash broadcast by NHK showed an oil slick on its surface dotted with what appeared to be debris. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Mainichi
17-05-2025
- General
- The Mainichi
Editorial: Crash of SDF trainer jet in Japan highlights need to probe frequent accidents
A Japan Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) T-4 training aircraft recently crashed into a large reservoir in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, about two minutes after taking off from the prefectural Nagoya Airport. It is imperative to investigate the cause of the accident and thoroughly implement measures to prevent a recurrence. After climbing to an altitude of about 1,400 meters, the plane suddenly descended while making a right turn, suggesting the possibility of an abrupt malfunction. There was no sign that the two crew members ejected. There are residential areas and tourist facilities in the vicinity of the crash site, and there could have been a major disaster involving residents. The Ministry of Defense has a responsibility to thoroughly investigate whether any mechanical failures or pilot errors occurred. T-4 planes are mainly used for ASDF pilot training and aerobatic flights. The May 14 flight was not for training, but an operational mission by two experienced pilots. The aircraft involved in the accident was relatively old, having been manufactured in 1989, and did not have a flight recorder, a key piece of equipment to determine the cause of aviation accidents. Out of approximately 200 T-4 aircraft owned by the Ministry of Defense, about 60 are not equipped with recorders. The devices should swiftly be installed in all aircraft. In recent years, the Self-Defense Forces have seen a series of aircraft accidents. In 2022, an ASDF F-15 fighter jet went down off the coast of Ishikawa Prefecture, resulting in two deaths. Then in 2023, a Japan Ground Self-Defense Force helicopter crashed off the coast of Miyako Island in Okinawa Prefecture, killing 10 people. The following year, two Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopters collided and crashed off the Izu Islands, resulting in eight fatalities It is necessary to determine whether there are any common issues behind these frequent accidents As Japan's birth rate declines, the Self-Defense Forces face a serious personnel shortage. Meanwhile, the security environment in East Asia is becoming increasingly severe, leading to more missions such as surveillance and monitoring. It has been pointed out that such circumstances are leading to increased burdens on personnel and insufficient training. The Japanese government plans to increase defense spending to 2% of gross domestic product by fiscal 2027. However, if emphasis is placed on expanding equipment while efforts to protect the lives of personnel are treated as secondary, it would defeat the purpose. Unless the Self-Defense Forces do their utmost to prevent recurrences and work to alleviate public concerns, trust in the forces could be shaken.
The Mainichi
17-05-2025
- General
- The Mainichi
Human remains found at Japan defense force jet crash site
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Air Self-Defense Force said Friday that human remains were discovered at a large reservoir in central Japan where an ASDF training jet carrying two personnel crashed earlier this week, possibly those of a missing crew member. The accident occurred shortly after the T-4 jet took off from Komaki Air Base in Aichi Prefecture on Wednesday afternoon, leaving both crew members missing, according to the ASDF. Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told reporters the body was "severely damaged," but he declined to elaborate further. The ASDF has identified the two as Capt. Takuji Ioka, 31, and 1st Lt. Shota Amitani, 29. It remains unclear which of them was piloting the aircraft at the time, as both seats are equipped with flight controls. The T-4 disappeared from radar after its altitude suddenly dropped from around 1,400 meters while making a right turn. At the reservoir known as Lake Iruka, the ASDF said it has found what appears to be the plane's engine and helmets believed to have been worn by the crew.
