Japan grounds its V-22 Osprey fleet again after flight incident
The incident happened during a joint military exercise featuring US and Japanese forces
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 US military exercise Keen Sword and was carrying 16 passengers, including three US service members. During take-off 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 Defence Forces said in a statement.
It was the first major incident for Japan’s V-22 fleet since an Osprey crash last November killed eight Air Force Special Operations Command service members and led to a months-long grounding of the entire fleet in both Japan and the United States.
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, Defence 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.
