United States Navy calls off search for 3 missing sailors

TOKYO: The US Navy on Friday called off its search for three sailors missing since two days when a transport plane crashed in the Pacific Ocean on its way to the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier.

Eight people were rescued but the remaining three sailors have not been found, the Navy's 7th Fleet based in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, said in a statement.

The Reagan had been leading the search effort, joined by eight US Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force ships, three helicopter squadrons and maritime patrol aircraft, the Washington Post reported. 

They had covered nearly 1,000 square nautical miles in the search for the sailors, who had been missing since the C-2A Greyhound crashed about halfway between Okinawa and Guam on Wednesday afternoon.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with our lost shipmates and their families," said Rear Admiral Marc Dalton, Commander of Task Force 70. 

"As difficult as this is, we are thankful for the rapid and effective response that led to the rescue of eight of our shipmates."

The cause of the crash was not known and an investigation is being conducted.