US and Japanese forces to resume Osprey flights in Japan following fatal crash
TOMIOKA, Japan — 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, with numerous crashes.
Japan’s Defense Ministry said the two countries have discussed the resumption of Osprey flights in Japan since the US Naval Air Systems Command announced last Friday that the aircraft has been cleared for return to service after an “unprecedented” defect in one part led to the deaths of eight American soldiers. soldiers at the crash in Japan.
The entire American Osprey fleet was grounded on December 6, a week after the crash. The Japanese military has also grounded all fourteen of its Ospreys.
Japan’s Defense Ministry said each of the U.S. forces will have separate 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 resume flying as early as Thursday, the ministry said.
It said the crash was caused by a component problem, and not a faulty Osprey design, and that similar problems could be prevented in the future by taking steps to mitigate the identified cause. No further details were provided.
The Osprey flights will be limited to areas around their bases for now, the ministry said, in an apparent effort to address security concerns for residents of Okinawa, where most U.S. military Ospreys are deployed in Japan. There has been vocal opposition to the plane there.
Okinawa is home to Naval Air Station Futenma and its 24 MV-22B Ospreys, and where half of Japan’s U.S. troops are stationed.
“It would be best if they remain on the ground because we have been asking all along to cancel the Osprey deployment,” Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki said after last week’s US announcement.
Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said the United States had provided an “adequate” explanation of the cause of the crash and detailed information about the accident.
The crash was the second fatal Osprey accident in months and the fourth in two years. Before the Osprey was approved, U.S. officials said they had paid more attention to the proprotor gearbox, imposed new restrictions on how it can be flown and added maintenance inspections and requirements that gave them confidence the plane could safely return going to fly.
Officials did not identify the specific part that failed because the Air Force crash investigation is not yet completed, but said they now have a better — but not complete — understanding of why it failed.