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2016 January 13 - 19 [US FORCES]

MV-22 Ospreys have worst flight accident record in Afghanistan

A U.S military report has found that the MV-22 Osprey, tilt-rotor transport aircraft of the U.S. Marine Corps, had a far-higher accident rate in Afghanistan than other military aircraft. This underlines Okinawans’ concerns over Ospreys stationed there, Akahata reported on January 14.

“Marine Corps Aviation Afghanistan Mishaps”, a report recently published by the U.S. Naval Safety Center, shows that a total of 33 aviation mishaps ranging from minor ones to serious ones occurred in Afghanistan between September 2010 and September 2012.

Of the total, MV-22s and military helicopter CH-53Es caused eight accidents each, the highest among all aircraft, followed by the ancestor model of CH-53E, CH-53Ds (six incidents), and the same type crashed on the campus of Okinawa International University in Okinawa in 2004.

The aviation mishaps rate (the number of mishaps per 100,000 flight hours) for MV-22 Osprey stood at 1105.56, far greater than the rates for CH-53E (41.07) and CH-53D (106.56). The report admits that the accident rate for these three combined (85.16) is “statistically higher than” the rate for all other aircraft combined (11.25).

In Okinawa, 24 Ospreys and eight CH-53Es are currently deployed at the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station which is located in the middle of the residential area of Ginowan City. These aircraft fly day and night above the densely-populated area surrounding the base, posing severe noise pollution and risk of crashes.