MANILA -- The United States Navy on Wednesday confirmed that one of its aircrafts carrying 11 crew and passengers crashed in the Philippine Sea southeast of Okinawa, Japan.
A few hours before the US Navy announcement, the United States Embassy in Manila said that they could not yet verify the exact location of the US Navy aircraft.
In a phone interview, Molly Koscina, press attache of the US Embassy, said: "I'm aware of the media reports saying that happened. I believe (it's) closer to Japan than the Philippines. I don't have a verification nor do have a statement."
The US 7th Pacific Fleet said the aircraft was en-route to the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), which is currently operating in the Philippine Sea. It reported that the incident happened at approximately 2:45 p.m. Wednesday.
"USS Ronald Reagan is conducting search and rescue operations. The cause of the crash is not known at this time," its statement read.
Meanwhile, names of the crew and passengers are being withheld pending next of kin notification. The 7th Fleet said personnel recovery is underway and the passengers' condition will be evaluated by USS Ronald Reagan medical staff.(PNA)
