An Osprey transport aircraft belonging to the US military has reportedly crashed into waters off Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan. The Japan Coast Guard is conducting search operations with patrol ships and aircraft.

Local coast guard officials say they received information that the plane crashed off Yakushima Island at around 2:47 p.m. on Wednesday. It was reportedly carrying six people.

The coast guard says a large amount of debris apparently from the Osprey was spotted in waters southeast of Yakushima Airport. It also says a man who is believed to have been on the plane was rescued, but later confirmed dead.

Japan's Defense Ministry says the aircraft is a CV-22 Osprey from the US Yokota Air Base in Tokyo. The ministry says it dropped off Japan Self-Defense Forces radar screens near Yakushima Island at around 2:40 p.m.

Transport ministry sources say the crash site is believed to be about 2 to 4 kilometers southeast of Yakushima Airport.

The coast guard says it is carrying out search operations with six patrol vessels and two helicopters as of 5 p.m.

It also says it received information from the local fishers' cooperative at around 3:50 p.m. that a man who is believed to have been aboard the Osprey was found. He was rescued by coast guard officials and taken to the hospital, but was later confirmed dead.

The cooperative says several fishing boats found three people near the accident site.

Defense ministry sources say they have information that the Osprey left the US Marine Corps' Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture at around 2:15 p.m. They say it initially headed for the US Kadena Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture, but changed its destination to Yakushima Island and possibly crashed on the way to Yakushima Airport.

Weather officials say the skies over the Yakushima area were mostly clear on the day, and the wind speed at 2:30 p.m. was 6.84 kilometers per hour. No advisories or warnings were issued at the time.