Japan Grounds Military Training Aircraft After Crash Leaves 2 Crew Members Missing

Firefighters gather for a search operation as a Japanese air force plane crashed after taking off for a training flight, at a pond in Inuyama, central Japan, on May 14, 2025. Kyodo News via AP

TOKYO—Japan grounded most of its aging military training aircraft on Wednesday after one of the planes crashed minutes after take off.

Two crew are missing after the T-4 training aircraft operated by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force crashed after taking off from Komaki Air Base, in the central Japanese prefecture of Aichi, officials said.