image: Ryukyu Shimpo
The U.S. Marines have grounded their V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft based in Japan after one was destroyed in Okinawa on Tuesday, at about 10 p.m. local time. The Osprey was engaged in an aerial refueling exercise when a hose connected to the aircraft broke. The crew attempted an emergency landing in shallow water about 300 feet from shore, but the aircraft broke up on the rocks. The five crew members were rescued by helicopter and taken to a nearby naval hospital, where they were treated for injuries, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. Local news reports say only two of the crew members were hurt.
The accident has fueled resentment among Okinawans who have protested about what they say is excessive U.S. military presence on their island and complained that the Osprey operations in particular are unsafe. Okinawa’s governor, Takeshi Onaga, told reporters the accident was “really outrageous.” The last fatal crash involving an Osprey was in Hawaii in May 2015, when two Marines died. The Osprey fleet, which began operations in 2007, has experienced four crashes resulting in six fatalities, and several minor incidents.
