Major search underway after two US military planes crash into Pacific Ocean

Rescuers have so far found two of the seven crew members

Japan's Coast Guard ship is seen at sea during a search operation for US Marine refueling plane and fighter jet (AP)

A major search is underway after two US Marine planes collided mid-air and crashed into the Pacific Ocean off Japan's south-western coast.

Rescuers have so far found two of the seven crew members from an F/A-18 fighter jet and a KC-130 refuelling aircraft.

One of the crew members was described as being in a stable condition while details about the second have not yet been released.

The jets crashed on 6 December at 2am during a regular refuelling training exercise. .

The planes took off from their base in Iwakuni, near Hiroshima in western Japan and crashed 200 miles off the coast, according to the US military.

Japanese officials said it occurred closer to the coast, about 60 miles, and that is where the search and rescue mission found two crew members.

The two aircraft were carrying seven crew members in total, two in the F/A-18 and five others in the KC-130, when they collided and crashed into the sea south of the Muroto Cape on Shikoku island.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

The crash is the latest in recent series of accidents involving the US military deployed to and near Japan.

Last month, a US Navy F/A-18 Hornet from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan crashed into the sea southwest of Japan's southern island of Okinawa, though its two pilots were rescued safely.

In mid-October, a MH-60 Seahawk also belonging to the Ronald Reagan crashed off the Philippine Sea shortly after takeoff, causing non-fatal injuries to a dozen sailors.

More than 50,000 US troops are based in Japan under the bilateral security pact.

Agencies contributed to this report