What happened
On the date of the incident, an aircraft performed a hard landing on the surface of the sea, approximately one kilometer away from Iwakuni Airbase. Following the impact with the water, the aircraft eventually submerged about 90 minutes after the initial event.
During the accident, one fatality was recorded among the crew members, while 13 others sustained injuries. At the time of the ditching, environmental conditions were characterized by calm sea states and a visibility range of roughly 1,800 meters.
Findings
The specific reasons for the hard landing remain undetermined, as the cause of the impact with the water was not established in the available reports.