Japan Suspends Osprey Flights Following U.S. Air Force Aircraft Crash

Japan has suspended flights of its Osprey aircraft, officials announced on Thursday Nov. 30, a day after a U.S. Air Force Osprey, based in Japan, crashed into the sea during a training mission.

Japan has also requested the U.S. military to ground all Ospreys operating in Japan, with the exception of those involved in the search for crash victims.

Taro Yamato, a senior Defense Ministry official, stated during a parliamentary hearing that Japan has suspended Osprey flights starting Thursday. This suspension will remain in place until the crash details are investigated, and safety is assured.

The U.S.-made Osprey is a hybrid aircraft capable of taking off and landing like a helicopter, but it can rotate its propellers forward and fly at higher speeds, similar to an airplane.

Planned training flights in the Saga prefecture were canceled as part of the grounding of all 14 Japanese-owned Ospreys deployed at Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force bases.

Japanese officials have requested the U.S. military to suspend all Ospreys in Japan until the crash is thoroughly examined and safety is confirmed. However, it is unclear whether all Ospreys have been grounded at this point.

The crash occurred on Wednesday off Japan’s southern coast, resulting in at least one confirmed fatality among the eight crew members. The cause of the crash and the status of the remaining seven crew members remain unknown.

Japanese coast guard and military personnel conducted search and rescue operations, including underwater sonar searches, as the wreckage may have sunk to a depth of approximately 30 meters (100 feet).

Ospreys have faced safety concerns and controversy over their deployment in Japan, with previous crashes raising questions about their reliability. In Okinawa, where approximately half of the 50,000 American troops in Japan are based, there have been calls to suspend all Osprey flights.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa met with U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, urging the United States to provide prompt information to Japan regarding the incident.

U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command confirmed that the crashed aircraft was a CV-22B Osprey assigned to the 353rd Special Operations Wing, deployed to Yokota Air Base. It had departed from the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi prefecture and was en route to Kadena Air Base on Okinawa.

Safety concerns related to Osprey aircraft have led to temporary stand-downs and investigations, including clutch slips and engine failures. These incidents have raised questions about the aircraft’s reliability and safety measures.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, pbs.org