Parts Fall from Osprey: Withdrawal Desired before Major Accident Occurs

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.