A motorized glider crashed in a mountainous part of Fukushima Prefecture on Sunday, killing one of the two people on board, the police said Monday.
The deceased has been identified as Tokyo resident Masaki Takagi, 66. The other occupant was rescued.
The two-seat glider departed from an airfield in the city of Fukushima early Sunday afternoon on what was supposed to be a nearly two-hour flight but failed to return at its scheduled time.
Responding to a call from a fellow glider enthusiast, the police began searching for the aircraft by helicopter later Sunday until darkness forced them to stop.
When the search resumed Monday morning, authorities spotted the wreckage and one of the occupants waving for help on a nearby mountain.
The Japan Transport Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash.