TOKYO — A US Navy transport plane carrying 11 people crashed in the Philippines Sea south of Japan on Wednesday as it flew to the aircraft carrier the USS Ronald Reagan, the US Seventh Fleet said.

Eight people had been rescued, with the remaining three unaccounted for, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported.

The US Navy said that eight people who were recovered from the crash of a transport aircraft in the Pacific are in good condition and the search continues for three other missing personnel.

The Navy said in a tweet that the eight are on board the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier.

Their C-2 “Greyhound” transport plane crashed while on its way to the carrier on Wednesday in the Philippine Sea.

Japanese Minister of Defense Itsunori Onodera told reporters the US Navy had informed him that the crash in the Philippine Sea may have been a result of engine trouble.

The propeller powered transport plane, a C-2 Greyhound, carries personnel, mail and other cargo from mainland bases to carriers operating at sea.

C-2 planes have been in operation for more than five decades and are due to be replaced by the long-range tilt-rotor Osprey aircraft.

The Navy said the ship was operating in the Philippine Sea, which is east of the Philippines, when the crash occurred at 2:45 p.m. Japan time. The names of the crew and passengers are being withheld pending next of kin notification.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear, the Navy said.

The plane was taking part in an ongoing joint US-Japan naval exercise in waters surrounding Okinawa from Nov. 16-26. The Navy called it the “premier training event” between the two navies, designed to increase defensive readiness and interoperability in air and sea operations.

The 7th Fleet has had two fatal accidents in Asian waters this year, leaving 17 sailors dead and prompting the removal of eight top Navy officers from their posts, including the 7th Fleet commander.

The USS John S. McCain and an oil tanker collided near Singapore in August, leaving 10 US sailors dead. Seven sailors died in June when the USS Fitzgerald and a container ship collided off Japan.

The Navy has concluded that the collisions were avoidable and resulted from widespread failures by the crews and commanders, who didn’t quickly recognize and respond to unfolding emergencies. A Navy report recommended numerous changes to address the problems, ranging from improved training to increasing sleep and stress management for sailors. — Agencies