Parts Fall from Osprey: Withdrawal Desired before Major Accident Occurs

Published in Ryukyu Shimpo
(Japan) on 22 June 2014
by Editorial (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Maisha Kuniyuki. Edited by Eva Langman.
During general training, a metal part fell from a U.S. Marine Corps V-22 Osprey vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft stationed at the Marine Corps Air Base at Futenma.

Although the Marine Corps brushed the incident off because the part fell over the ocean and no one was hurt, we absolutely cannot deny that this aircraft was deployed in spite of strong opposition from locals, and that it has defects, as this accident shows. In addition to the obvious thorough inspection and grounding of all Osprey aircrafts until the cause has been determined, I strongly request that the Osprey be promptly removed from Okinawa.

According to the Okinawa Defense Bureau, the part that fell was rod-shaped, approximately 15 centimeters long and part of the vertical stabilizer at the rear of the aircraft that discharges static electricity.

Although the object is believed to have fallen around the afternoon or evening of June 17, the notification from U.S. forces [stationed in] Japan, which passed through the channels of the Ministry of Defense’s Okinawa Defense Bureau, did not reach Okinawa Prefecture or the city of Ginowan until June 19.

In 1997, both governments agreed that the U.S. would quickly notify Japan of any object that falls from a U.S. military aircraft, whether on or off base. Why, then, was there no notification on June 18? I cannot help but feel strong doubts about not only the system of communication, but also the [integrity of the] type of aircraft, safety management and maintenance systems.

Last October, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of the Inspector General announced that it had found a few errors in the Marine Corps V-22 Osprey’s maintenance operations and records between October 2008 and September 2011. It also indicated that "senior DoD and Marine Corps officials could have deployed MV-22 squadrons that were not prepared for missions."

Surprisingly, aircraft status information was recorded improperly 167 out of 200 times, while 112 out of 907 aircraft work orders were inadequately prepared.

In addition to the Osprey, there have been 21 confirmed incidents of objects falling from U.S. aircrafts around Okinawa since 2003. The lives and livelihoods of locals are undeniably being exposed to danger. We cannot afford to let this issue go unchecked.

The U.S. Marine Corps, the Japanese government and U.S. government must not think lightly of the current incident of the falling part. Whenever locals see and hear the oppressive sound of the Osprey overhead, their fears and concerns over a [potential] large accident grow.

Flights past 10 p.m., which are supposed to be limited, are also becoming normal. The lives and human rights of Okinawan citizens are undeniably being made light of. If military affairs continue to be prioritized above human lives, there will be a serious accident one day. The best way to prevent this is to remove the Osprey from Okinawa.


オスプレイ部品落下 大事故起こす前に撤去を
2014年6月22日

 米軍普天間飛行場所属の垂直離着陸輸送機MV22オスプレイから、通常訓練中に金属製の部品が落下していたことが分かった。
 在沖海兵隊は「部品は海上に落下し、けが人もいない」と事もなげだが、県民の大反対を押し切って強行配備された欠陥機に絡む事故であり、断じて看過できない。オスプレイ全機の徹底的な点検整備、原因究明までの飛行停止はもとより、沖縄からの即時撤去を強く求める。
 沖縄防衛局によると、落下したのは機体後部の垂直安定板に取り付けられている長さ15センチほどの棒状の部品。静電気を放電させる役割を果たしているという。
 部品落下は17日午後から夜にかけて発生したと見られるが、在日米軍から防衛省、沖縄防衛局を通じて県や宜野湾市に連絡があったのは19日になってからだ。
 日米両政府は1997年、米軍機からの落下物に関しては基地内外を問わず、日本側へ迅速な通報をすることで合意している。なぜ18日中の通報ができなかったのか。通報体制に対しても機種や安全管理、整備体制同様に、強い疑問を抱かざるを得ない。
 米国防総省監査室は昨年10月、2008年10月から11年9月までの海兵隊MV22オスプレイの整備作業や書類作成に関するミスが、多数見つかったとする監査結果を公表し「任務遂行に十分な状態でないまま機体を配備していた可能性がある」と指摘している。
 機体の状態を示す記録のミスが調査対象200回のうち167回、機体の整備作業指示が不適正だったものは907回のうち112回あったというから驚きだ。
 オスプレイだけでなく、米軍機からの落下事故は2003年以降、県内やその周辺で21件確認されている。まさに県民の命と生活が危険にさらされている。この現状を放置するわけにはかない。
 今回の部品落下事故を米軍、日米両政府は甘く考えてはならない。県民は上空でオスプレイの機影を見、重苦しい飛行音を聞くたびに、いつ重大な事故が起きないかと不安と恐怖を募らせているのだ。
 制限されているはずの午後10時以降の飛行も常態化している。県民の命と人権が軽んじられているというほかない。人命軽視、軍事優先の状態が続けば、いずれは重大な事故につながる。オスプレイの撤去こそが最良の再発防止策だ。
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