Japan has grounded its V-22 Osprey fleet again after flight incident
TARA
COPP and MARI YAMAGUCHI
Updated
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FILE - U.S. MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft are parked at the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, south of Okinawa, southern Japan, Sept. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae, File)
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WASHINGTON
(AP) — Japan has grounded its fleet of V-22 Osprey aircraft again after an
incident last Sunday where one of the hybrid helicopter-aircraft tilted
unexpectedly and hit the ground while trying to take off.
The V-22 was taking part in the joint U.S. military exercise Keen Sword
and carrying 16 passengers, including three U.S. service members. During
takeoff it “became unstable as it swayed from side to side, and the left wing,
the lower part of the aircraft came into contact with the ground and part of
the aircraft was damaged, so the flight was aborted," Japan's Ground Self
Defense Forces said in a statement.
It was the first major incident involving Japan's V-22 fleet since a
U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command Osprey crash last November off the
coast of Japan killed eight service members and led to a
monthslong grounding of the entire fleet for both Japan and the U.S.
The aircraft resumed flight operations earlier this year, but the
Osprey’s use remains controversial particularly in Okinawa, where
residents have questioned its safety record.
The Osprey in last Sunday's incident was able to land and no one was
injured, however Japan will keep its fleet of more than a dozen V-22s grounded
while it investigates the incident, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told
reporters last week.
“We believe there is no safety problem with Ospreys, although ensuring
flight safety is a prerequisite for aircraft operations,” Nakatani said.
The Pentagon's V-22 joint program office is supporting Japan's
investigation into the incident, spokesman Neil Lobeda said Saturday.
The V-22 was operating on the Japanese island of Yonaguni during the
joint exercise Keen Sword. Yonaguni is only 100
kilometers (62 miles) east of Taiwan
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