A stick-like metal aircraft part fell off earlier this week from a U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft deployed in Okinawa Prefecture, Japanese Defense Ministry officials said Friday.
But with no report of damage on the ground, the part appears to have fallen off while the aircraft was flying over the sea, they said.
The incident on Tuesday marks the first time a part has fallen off one of the tilt-rotor aircraft deployed in Okinawa during flight. The Marines began deploying the aircraft at the Futenma Air Station in Ginowan, Okinawa, in October 2012.
The part was a rod-shaped static discharger about 15 centimeters long, according to the Defense Ministry, which was notified of the incident via the Japanese Foreign Ministry on Thursday. The Defense Ministry notified local authorities the same day, the officials said.
The ministry has asked the U.S. military to determine the cause of the incident and take steps to prevent a recurrence, according to the officials.
Concern persists among the people of Okinawa about the aircraft's safety because of multiple crashes overseas involving the aircraft and its variant. Under its medium-term defense buildup plan, the Japanese government plans to acquire 17 Osprey aircraft for the nation's Self-Defense Forces.
Source: http://www.globalpost.com
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment