Japan has requested the United States to suspend all non-emergency flights of the V-22 Osprey aircraft over its territory after one crashed into the sea on Wednesday in western Japan, marking the first fatal accident involving a U.S. military aircraft in the country in five years. The U.S. Air Force stated that the cause of the incident, which occurred during a routine military exercise and resulted in at least one death, remains unknown, and search and rescue operations are ongoing to find the remaining seven crew members.
Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara told Parliament on Thursday, "The occurrence of such an incident has caused significant concern among local residents. We request that the U.S. side not resume flights of the Ospreys stationed in Japan until it is confirmed that they are safe." Another official from the Japanese Ministry of Defense indicated that the Japan Self-Defense Forces, which also operate Ospreys, will temporarily halt transport flights until the circumstances of the incident are clarified.
Media reports indicated that witnesses stated the left engine of the aircraft appeared to be on fire as it was approaching an airport for an emergency landing, despite clear weather and light winds. Boeing and Bell Helicopter developed the V-22 Osprey, a hybrid aircraft capable of taking off and landing like a helicopter while flying like a fixed-wing aircraft. This model is used by the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, and the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
An Osprey aircraft crashed off the northern coast of Australia in August while transporting troops during a routine military exercise, resulting in the deaths of three U.S. Marines. Another aircraft crashed into the ocean near Okinawa in December 2016, leading the U.S. military to temporarily ground the aircraft.
