What happened
On a mission for the 7th Fleet, an aircraft was traveling from Iwakuni Airbase toward the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), which was positioned in the Philippine Sea. During the approach to the supercarrier, the aircraft experienced an engine failure, leading to a stall and subsequent impact with the ocean surface.
Following the accident, search and rescue operations were conducted. While eight crew members were successfully rescued, three individuals remained missing two days after the event. On 29 December 2017, the wreckage was located at a depth of 5,640 meters.
Findings
Preliminary information suggests that the crash was precipitated by a loss of power in one of the engines, which caused the aircraft to lose lift and enter a stall during its approach to the carrier.