TOKYO, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- A pilot was rescued following a U.S. fighter jet crashing off the coast of Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa on Thursday afternoon, officials from the coastguard and the U.S. military said.
The Japanese coastguard dispatched a rescue team shortly after the crash at around 2 p.m. local time, with officials here saying that one person believed to be the pilot had been rescued from the crash site located around 130 kilometers east of Cape Hedo, at the north end of the southern island prefecture.
According to the Defense Ministry here, as well as local government officials, and the coast guard, a U.S. Air Force Harrier fighter jet crashed off the east coast of Okinawa on Thursday afternoon at around 1:55 p.m. local time, shortly after taking off from the United States Air Force (USAF) Kadena Air Base, located in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture.
Along with the coast guard's fast-response unit, a Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) plane was deployed to the crash site to gather more information, along with a helicopter and patrol vessel from the coastguard, local media reported.
The downed jet is believed to be an AV8B Harrier II ground attack aircraft, manufactured by McDonnell Douglas (currently Boeing) and known globally for its ability to take off and land vertically.
The jet is traditionally a single-seat plane, however some versions with double seats are used for pilot training operations.
The U.S. military has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash and the Japanese coastguard is currently combing the crash site, officials from both parties said.
