The Japanese Air Force has launched all emergency safety inspections of nearly 200 military training aircraft after one of the planes crashed minutes after takeoff, officials said Thursday. The T-4 training aircraft operated by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force or JASDF and carried by two service members crashed into the reservoir on Wednesday after taking off from Komaki Air Force Base in Central Japan. Search operations for the missing aircraft and two crew continued Thursday, but the military announced that it has begun all remaining emergency inspections of all remaining training aircraft deployed at JASDF bases nationwide. Air Force Secretary Hiroaki Uchikura told reporters on Wednesday. The crash is the latest in a string of defense aircraft accidents in recent years, and comes as Japan accelerates military accumulation to deter China's influence in the region and double its defense spending, raising concerns that weapons funding could be prioritized over safety measures. The plane crashed was a 36-year-old T-4 operated from Nutabal Air Force Base in southern Miyazaki. It was not equipped with a voice recorder or flight data recorder, which is a set-up for investigation. Defense Minister Nakatani announced on Thursday plans to quickly adapt voice and flight data recording equipment to training aircraft. The JASDF said Thursday it experienced trouble when the plane reached an altitude of 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) about a minute after takeoff. Kyoto Press said that air traffic control did not receive contact from T-4 aircraft about the emergency. The unit said the plane was lost from the radar two minutes after its departure and crashed into a reservoir called a dolphin pond about 10 kilometers (6 miles) northeast of the Air Force Base. Witnesses told NHK National Broadcasting Station that they heard a loud, lightning noise during the crash. Debris believed to be an aircraft, as well as the crew's lifesaving device and helmet were found near the reservoir.
