US F-15 antenna falls in Japanese sky
An antenna weighing more than a kilogram fell from an F-15 fighter jet while it was flying in Japan, but the US only notified the country a week later.
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US F-15 fighter jets in Japan. Photo:USA Air Force. |
The F-15 jet took off from Kadena Air Base on Okinawa Island and lost its antenna during a flight on February 27, according to a spokesman for the Japanese Ministry of Defense. The 1.4 kg, 38 cm long device was confirmed missing when it returned to the base, according toKyodo.
When objects fall from a U.S. aircraft based in Okinawa, the U.S. usually notifies the Japanese Defense Ministry through the prefectural defense agency, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said today. However, that did not happen until March 5, nearly a week later.
Japanese officials want to know where the object fell, whether it was recovered and whether it caused any damage. "We have asked the US side to ensure that they inform us," Mr. Onodera said.
US forces in Japan said today that the plane part may have fallen into the sea and "does not threaten people or property on the ground," according toStars and Stripes.
This is the latest in a series of incidents involving US aircraft in Japan in recent months. It could raise concerns about the safety of residents of Okinawa, where Japanese military facilities in the US are located.
In December 2017, a window fell from a CH-53E transport helicopter onto an elementary school playground near the Futenma air base. Last month, a part from a US military Osprey transport aircraft was found drifting near a small island in Okinawa.
In the provinceAomori, local fishermen were forced to stop fishing after an F-16 fighter jet stationed at the US Misawa Air Base dropped two fuel tanks into the lake due to an engine fire.