Japan Press Weekly

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2014 March 5 - 11 [US FORCES]

Osprey belches out smoke after emergency landing

A Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey spewed out smoke after making an emergency landing at the U.S. Kadena Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture.

The accident occurred at around 12:00 pm on March 2.

One MV-22 Osprey helicopter from the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station (Ginowan City, Okinawa) made an emergency landing at the Kadena base. Just after landing, the aircraft’s right side engine fumed.

The aircraft in question was one of 12 Ospreys deployed to the Futenma base in October 2012.

The U.S. Marine Corps explained to the Japanese Defense Ministry’s Okinawa bureau that the helicopter landed at the Kadena base as a precaution during its routine flight training.

Ookubo Yasuhiro of the Okinawa prefectural Peace Committee pointed out, “Ospreys’ fire troubles have been reported frequently. Nonetheless, it looks like no improvement has been made.”

Japanese Communist Party lawmaker of the U.S. base-hosting Kadena Town Tanaka Koei said, “It’s a matter of course that all Ospreys should be grounded while the cause of problems remains unknown. Accident-prone Ospreys should be removed immediately.”