US F-16 engine fire, dump fuel into lake in Japan
An American F-16 fighter jet had to dump two fuel tanks to return to its base in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, due to an engine fire.
US F-16 engine fire, dump fuel into lake in Japan
A fire broke out in the engine of a US F-16 aircraft shortly after it took off from Misawa Air Base, Aomori Prefecture, at 8:39 a.m. this morning.NHKquoted Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera. The pilot dumped two external fuel tanks into Lake Ogawara, north of the base, and returned to base at 8:42.
There were no reports of casualties or damage to property on the ground. Mr. Onodera said the dumping of the two fuel tanks was for safety reasons. The Japanese defense minister will listen to the explanation from the US military and propose solutions to avoid similar situations.
This is the latest incident involving US military aircraft and forces stationed in Japan. A recent survey by the Japanese Ministry of Defense found that 25 US helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft had technical problems that forced pilots to make emergency landings in 2017. In January alone, two US helicopters had to make emergency landings on the island of Okinawa in less than three days.
