Key Facts
• November 18, 2025, 10:45 AM: Report of a small aircraft crash in Hoshino Village, Fukuoka.
• Three unidentified bodies found near the Oita Prefecture border in a mountainous area.
• Aircraft: Single-engine Cirrus SR20, 7.92 meters long, privately owned.
• Passengers listed: Taiji Matsuno, Taizo Tsuji, Akira Okamoto; aircraft likely owned by Matsuno.
• Aircraft departed Saga Airport at 10:13 AM, bound for Yao Airport, Osaka.
• 10:31 AM: Distress signal detected; aircraft disappeared from radar and lost communication.
• 12:30 PM: Firefighters located the crash site; police confirmed deaths at 2:40 PM.
• Wreckage severely damaged and burned; aircraft registration number unidentifiable.
• Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism confirmed the accident.
• Two investigators from the Japan Transport Safety Board assigned to probe the crash.
• Police to conduct on-site investigations starting November 19, 2025.
Summary
A small aircraft crash occurred on November 18, 2025, in Hoshino Village, Fukuoka Prefecture, near the Oita border. The Cirrus SR20, carrying three men, including owner Taiji Matsuno, departed Saga Airport at 10:13 AM for Yao Airport, Osaka. A distress signal was detected at 10:31 AM before the aircraft vanished from radar. Firefighters discovered the crash site at 12:30 PM, and police confirmed three fatalities at 2:40 PM. The wreckage was heavily damaged and burned, making identification difficult. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism confirmed the accident, and the Japan Transport Safety Board assigned two investigators. Police will begin on-site investigations on November 19, 2025.
