A U.S. military aircraft, a CV-22 Osprey, crashed near Yakushima Island in south-western Japan, killing at least one of the six people on board.
The Osprey attempted to land at Yakushima Airport with one engine on fire, which worsened the crash.
The Osprey's hybrid nature, which allows it to operate as a helicopter and a turboprop, is briefly explained.
Details the Osprey's troubling history of fatal crashes.
The aircraft was thought to be flying from Iwakuni base in western Yamaguchi prefecture to Kadena base in Okinawa.
Reports claim the aircraft vanished from radar at 14:40 local time on Wednesday, prompting distress calls.
Five minutes after the disappearance, the Japan Coast Guard received a distress call and deployed six boats and two helicopters to the disaster site.
Notes that helicopters saw a plane section and a life raft around 16:00, highlighting rescue attempts.