A small single-engine plane landed in a river in Fukui Prefecture on Sunday after reporting engine trouble, and all four men on board were able to escape without injury.
The Beechcraft A36 Bonanza landed in the Kuzuryu River, between the cities of Sakai and Fukui on the Sea of Japan coast, at around 3:40 p.m., according to the police, who were alerted by a nearby resident.
The fuselage sank, but the men, ranging in age from 63 to 74, were able to reach the river bank by themselves and were later taken to a hospital in the city of Fukui, the police said. The men are from Fukui and neighboring Ishikawa.
The pilot reported engine trouble to an air traffic control officer in Aichi Prefecture at around 3:35 p.m., according to the Fukui Prefectural Police.
The aircraft departed from Shonai Airport in Yamagata Prefecture and was en route to Fukui Airport after a refueling stop in Niigata.
