THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
March 29, 2022 at 19:00 JST
U.S. military Osprey aircraft (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
ISHIGAKI, Okinawa Prefecture--Two U.S. military Osprey aircraft made emergency landings at Shin-Ishigaki Airport here on the afternoon of March 29, according to Okinawa Prefecture and the transport ministry.
At least one of the tilt-rotor transport aircraft is assigned to U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan.
The Osprey experienced problems with a deicing system that removes ice accumulating on the aircraft after leaving Futenma for Manila, according to the West Japan Civil Aviation Bureau’s Ishigaki airport office.
Around 20 minutes before the incident, an air traffic controller notified the airport office that the U.S. Osprey aircraft needed to make emergency landings.
The two aircraft separately made an emergency landing at around 12:50 p.m. and 1:10 p.m., according to the prefectural government.
Shortly before that, the two Osprey and a C-130 transport aircraft were flying over the area near the airport.
The one deployed to Futenma sent an emergency message about 100 kilometers east of Ishigakijima island before the two aircraft made the emergency landings.
The incident caused All Nippon Airways Co.'s No. 1768 flight bound for Naha to leave the airport six minutes behind schedule.
(This article was written by Mika Kuniyoshi and Shogo Mitsuzumi.)
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