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Article snippet: HONG KONG — The United States Navy on Friday ended its search for three sailors who have been missing since a transport plane crashed near Japan this week, the Navy’s Seventh Fleet said in a statement. Eight of the 11 passengers and crew members who were aboard the C2-A Greyhound propeller cargo plane were rescued after the crash Wednesday. The Seventh Fleet said they remained in good condition. “Our thoughts and prayers are with our lost shipmates and their families,” Rear Adm. Marc Dalton said in the statement. “As difficult as this is, we are thankful for the rapid and effective response that led to the rescue of eight of our shipmates, and I appreciate the professionalism and dedication shown by all who participated in the search efforts.” The crash was the fifth accident this year for the fleet, which has its headquarters in Japan and is the Navy’s largest fleet overseas. The accidents, including a pair of deadly collisions, led the Navy to relieve the head of the Seventh Fleet of his command in August. The plane crashed in the Philippine Sea about 500 nautical miles southeast of Okinawa around 2:45 p.m. Wednesday while en route to the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan, the Seventh Fleet said. The C2-A Greyhound is a model that has been in use for decades to ferry personnel and supplies to and from aircraft carriers at sea. The plane was flying from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni to the Ronald Reagan, which was conducting a training exercise with the Japanese... Link to the full article to read more