Japan Press Weekly

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2017 September 13 - 19 [US FORCES]

US Osprey grounded for more than a month due to engine malfunction

It has come to light that one of the MV-22 Ospreys stationed at the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma base in Okinawa has been grounded at the U.S. Iwakuni base in Yamaguchi Prefecture for more than a month. Akahata on September 17 reported that apparently the aircraft had been unable to fly due to a malfunction.

In late August, another Futenma-stationed MV-22 made an emergency landing at Oita Airport in Oita Prefecture due to engine failure.

Local peace groups which conduct monitoring activities at the Iwakuni base said that six Okinawa-based Ospreys, including the one that made an emergency landing at Oita Airport, arrived at the Iwakuni base on August 12.

Within a few days, four of the six Ospreys left the base to take part in the Japan-U.S. military drills which were taking place in Hokkaido at that time. The remaining two, however, were parked in hangars and did not participate in the joint military exercises.

One of the two Ospreys took off on August 29 for the Futenma base but engine trouble caused the aircraft to land at Oita Airport. After the landing, the aircraft emitted an unsual amount of smoke. All of the engines had to be replaced before the Osprey left the airport on September 8 for the Futenma base.

Another had been kept in a hangar at the Iwakuni base until September 10. After undergoing repairs to its engines, the aircraft carried out test flights at the base on September 13 and 16. Each time, the U.S. military kept fire trucks on standby alert.

Sakamoto Chihiro, secretary general of a citizens’ group opposing the expansion of the Iwakuni base, said, “Such a defective aircraft must not be allowed to fly. The U.S. military should disassemble all the Ospreys in Japan and ship them back home.”

Past related articles:
> Osprey emits unreported smoke the day before its emergency landing [August 31 & September 1, 2017]