The U.S. and Japanese militaries will resume flights of Osprey aircraft in Japan after completing necessary maintenance and training following a fatal crash in southern Japan last November, officials said Wednesday. The Osprey aircraft, which can take off like a helicopter and then fly like an airplane, has had a troubled history, including numerous crashes.
Quick Read
- The U.S. and Japanese militaries are set to resume Osprey aircraft flights in Japan after completing necessary maintenance and training, following a crash last November that resulted in the deaths of eight U.S. service members.
- The entire U.S. Osprey fleet was grounded on December 6th after the crash, and Japan’s military also grounded its 14 Ospreys.
- The resumption of Osprey flights is based on discussions between Japan and the U.S., with separate return-to-flight schedules for each of the U.S. forces. Flights could resume as early as Thursday.
- The crash was attributed to a part failure rather than a design flaw in the Osprey, with measures taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
- Initially, Osprey flights will be limited to areas around their bases, addressing safety concerns from residents in Okinawa, where most U.S. military Ospreys in Japan are based.
- Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki expressed opposition to the resumption of flights, reiterating the request to scrap Osprey deployment in the region.
- Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara stated the U.S. provided an “adequate” explanation for the crash’s cause and detailed information about the incident.
- The crash was part of a series of fatal Osprey accidents, prompting increased scrutiny on the aircraft’s proprotor gearbox and the introduction of new flight limitations, maintenance inspections, and requirements to ensure safe operation.
The Associated Press has the story:
US & Japanese forces to resume Osprey flights in Japan following fatal crash
Newslooks- TOMIOKA, Japan (AP) —
The U.S. and Japanese militaries will resume flights of Osprey aircraft in Japan after completing necessary maintenance and training following a fatal crash in southern Japan last November, officials said Wednesday. The Osprey aircraft, which can take off like a helicopter and then fly like an airplane, has had a troubled history, including numerous crashes.
Japan’s Defense Ministry said the two countries have discussed the resumption of Osprey flights in Japan since the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command announced last Friday that the aircraft has been approved to return to service after an “unprecedented” part failure led to the deaths of eight U.S. service members in the crash in Japan.
The entire U.S. Osprey fleet was grounded on Dec. 6, a week after that crash. Japan’s military also grounded all of its 14 Ospreys.
Japan’s Defense Ministry said each of the U.S. forces will have separate return-to-flight schedules, and that Japan and the United States have “closely” discussed a timeline for the resumption of Osprey flights in Japan. Aircraft that have completed necessary maintenance and training will return to flight as early as Thursday, the ministry said.
It said the crash was caused by a part problem, not a faulty Osprey design, and that similar problems can be prevented in the future by taking steps to mitigate the identified cause. It did not provide further details.
The Osprey flights will be limited to areas around their bases for the time being, the ministry said, in an apparent effort to address the safety concerns of residents in Okinawa, where most of the U.S. military Ospreys in Japan are deployed. There has been vocal opposition there to the aircraft.
Okinawa is home to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma and its 24 MV-22B Ospreys, and where half of the American troops in Japan are based.
“It would be best if they stay on the ground, as we have all along requested scrapping of the Osprey deployment,” Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki said after last week’s U.S. announcement.
Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said the United States had given an “adequate” explanation of the cause of the crash and provided detailed information about the accident.
The crash was the second fatal Osprey accident in months and the fourth in two years. Before clearing the Osprey, U.S. officials said they put increased attention on its proprotor gearbox, instituted new limitations on how it can be flown and added maintenance inspections and requirements that gave them confidence it could safely return to flight.
The officials did not identify the specific component that failed because the Air Force’s crash investigation has not been completed, but said they now have a better — but not complete — understanding of why it failed.
