Japan Air Self-Defense Force T-4 Jet Crashes, Two Crew Missing Near Komaki

A Japanese Air Self-Defense Force T-4 training jet crashed into Lake Iruka near Komaki Air Base, Aichi Prefecture, shortly after takeoff, resulting in two crew members missing. The pilots were identified as Capt. Takuji Ioka and 1st Lt. Shota Amitani, but it is unclear who was controlling the aircraft at the time of the crash. Debris and helmets believed to belong to the crew have been recovered, and search efforts involving boats, helicopters, police, and divers continue amid concerns over a fuel leak spreading on the reservoir's surface. The 36-year-old aircraft, operated from Nyutabaru Air Base, had no flight recorder, complicating the ongoing investigation into the crash's cause. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force has grounded other T-4 jets temporarily as authorities work to determine the incident's reason. This crash is part of a growing pattern of defense aircraft accidents in recent years, prompting heightened safety scrutiny.