TOKYO, May 23 (NNN-NHK) – Human remains recovered from a large reservoir in central Japan, have been confirmed as those of the two missing crew members of a Japan Air Self-Defence Force (ASDF) training aircraft, that crashed, last week.
“It is gut-wrenching that we have lost these promising colleagues, due to a sudden accident,” Gen. Hiroaki Uchikura, chief of staff of the ASDF, told a press conference, yesterday.
He added that, his force “takes the accident seriously” and “will do our best to identify the cause of the crash.”
On May 14, the T-4 jet, with Capt. Takuji Ioka, 31, and 1st Lt. Shota Amitani, 29, onboard, crashed into the reservoir in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, shortly after taking off, from the Komaki Air Base.
The ASDF has grounded other T-4 jets for the time being.– NNN-NHK
