1 dead, 5 Marines still missing after military plane crash off the coast of Japan

1 dead, 5 Marines still missing after military plane crash off the coast of Japan
In this aerial photo, a Japanese Coast Guard ship is seen at sea during a search operation for a U.S. Marine refueling plane and a fighter jet off Muroto, Kochi prefecture, southwestern Japan, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. 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. (Kyodo News via AP)
By Gray News Staff | December 6, 2018 at 11:21 AM EST - Updated December 6 at 10:22 PM

(RNN) – One of the Marines recovered after two military warplanes collided in midair off the coast of Japan has died.

A search and rescue mission recovered two Marines after the crash. Five others are still missing, after an incident termed a “mishap."

The Associated Press, citing the Japanese Defense Ministry, said the warplanes, a KC-130 and F/A-18, collided and crashed into the sea about 60 miles from the Japanese island of Shikoku.

The other recovered crew member is in stable condition.

According to the AP, two Marines were aboard the F/A-18 fighter jet and five were aboard the KC-130, a long-range refueling tanker, when the crash happened.

The search and rescue operations continue.

The U.S. Naval Institute reported the aircraft were conducting routine training.

The official U.S. Marines Twitter account tweeted that the incident was under investigation.

Two warplanes crashed off the coast of Japan. One Marine is confirmed dead, another is in the hospital and five others are missing.
Two warplanes crashed off the coast of Japan. One Marine is confirmed dead, another is in the hospital and five others are missing. (Source: CNN)

Aerial refueling was part of the training, according to the III Marine Expeditionary Force, but it’s unclear what was taking place when the crash occurred around noon ET Wednesday.

Japanese authorities are aiding in the search and rescue mission.

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