US military Osprey makes emergency landing in Japan after technical glitch
Tokyo: A US military Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft made an emergency landing at Hanamaki Airport in Iwate prefecture, northern Japan, on Thursday following a reported technical malfunction, airport officials told AFP.
No injuries were reported and the landing was carried out without incident.
According to an airport spokesperson, the pilot of the Osprey contacted Hanamaki Airport in advance, citing a technical glitch and requesting to land. The crew aboard the aircraft did not ask for emergency medical assistance after landing, and local airport operations continued uninterrupted.
Television footage showed a few uniformed US military personnel standing near the parked aircraft. National broadcaster NHK also aired footage of the Osprey executing a vertical landing—a capability that sets the hybrid aircraft apart, allowing it to function as both a helicopter and a fixed-wing plane.
Officials from US Forces Japan were not immediately available for comment on the incident.
Regional units of Japan's Self-Defence Forces are reportedly being dispatched to the airport to examine the aircraft and gather information regarding the cause of the technical failure, according to Japan’s defence ministry sources.
The Osprey aircraft has faced repeated scrutiny over safety concerns. Thursday’s emergency landing comes amid ongoing public concern following a fatal Osprey crash in southern Japan in November 2023, where all eight crew members on board were killed. That incident led to the temporary grounding of all Osprey aircraft worldwide by the US military.
Despite these concerns, Ospreys remain a key component of US military operations in Japan and the wider Indo-Pacific region, particularly due to their vertical take-off capabilities and extended range compared to helicopters.
(With AFP inputs)