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Object possibly from U.S. military aircraft falls on Okinawa nursery

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Wouldn't want American military aircraft flying over my kids' schools, and I don't see why the Okinawan people have to put up with it either.

9 ( +16 / -7 )

Oh come on, people. It's just a bit of inferior tech falling from a plane.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Ok. So this fell ‘when’ a plane flew overhead. In that case my basic understanding of projectiles and kinematics suggests it most certainly didn’t come from the plane. This is a ‘what if’ at best. Let’s wait for the object to be identified, no?

2 ( +10 / -8 )

PG is right, let's wait till the object is identified. How do we know it wasn't a beer can thrown by a grumpy ojisan neighbor who hates the noise?

6 ( +13 / -7 )

How do we know it wasn't a beer can thrown by a grumpy ojisan neighbor who hates the noise?

Possibly but then you'd have to ask what the fellow was doing in a US plane?

4 ( +9 / -5 )

I'm sure that if someone has been close enough to judge that it is a "cylinder-shaped object, measuring about 15 centimeters" they would have recognised it as a beer can but yes, let's not jump to any conclusions yet, the object will be identified soon enough.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Didn't an F35 lose a panel the other day? Sounds like planes are falling apart over there...

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga, said it would be "outrageous" if the cylinder-shaped object was indeed dropped from a U.S. military plane.

But totally cool if it came from a Japanese plane.

11 ( +19 / -8 )

Seriously? Someone threw something... maybe a kid... jumping to that it came from a plane is absurd.

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

The part came from a helicopter not a plane. Amazing how most of the posters quickly jumped the gun and said plane without any hardcore evidence but assumptions.  The question remains why this component came off and correct it so that it does not happen again.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

It's a really scary things. What if it was something dangerous to fall on the kindergarten roof? I can't make assumptions. As far as I'm concerned, military aircraft are trying to avoid flying over populated areas. Regardless of the impact of noise, it is mainly about the life safety of so many people.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Amazing how most of the posters quickly jumped the gun and said plane without any hardcore evidence but assumptions.

Just going by the scant details from the above story.

Can you link to the verification on it being from a helicopter, ta.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

"Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga, a staunch opponent of the plan to relocate the base within his island prefecture, said it would be "outrageous" if the cylinder-shaped object, measuring about 15 centimeters, was indeed dropped from a U.S. military plane."

As if you need proof Onaga is just a bag of hot wind and no logic, it's only outrageous if it was a US military vehicle. If it was ANYTHING else, it is not outrageous and he doesn't care.

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

Hey Onaga, you are to blame for this too! Along with everyone else who has been against the move to Henoko.

THe people of Futenma have been waiting over 20 years for the base to be moved and you are a huge part of the problem! You could be a part of the solution, but you'd rather have people be frightened or maybe worse, rather than make their lives better!

Always lost in the BS about Henoko are the people of Futenma and Onaga does not give a rats butt about them!

1 ( +5 / -4 )

If it was ANYTHING else, it is not outrageous and he doesn't care.

Ok, since we're doing hypotheticals. How often do Japanese military vehicles drop things on their own schools?

Sure, it's possible it does happen but it's usually down to the invaders. Hence the anger and outrage.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

It was made of glass and said FLIGHT REMOVE on it in English.

https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20171207-00180714-okinawat-oki.view-000

5 ( +5 / -0 )

PS 15 cm long and 10 cm in diameter, it fell on the roof of the nursery attached to the Baptist Church. It was still hot and smelled like something burning, apparently.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

It was made of glass and said FLIGHT REMOVE on it in English

Well. So much for my claims of understanding free fall projectiles. And indeed your link makes details clearer. Thanks for sharing.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Many types of US aircraft have plastic covers, or banners attached to pins, that have the words remove before flight. So the fact that it apparently fell off an aircraft means somebody forgot to remove it, or it fell out the door or window because it wasn't secured. Either way someone's going to get their ear chewed for this.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Onaga tries to politicize everything and anything.

Be grateful that the US has bases here! I think America being in Japan has made Japan better and the Japanese better too (and I’m Japanese).

If you want em out, remember the Russians and Chinese both want revenge on Japan.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

remember the Russians and Chinese both want revenge on Japan.

No, they don't.

The imaginary boogey man versus the one on actually your doorstep.

It's called Stockholm syndrome.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

A small cylindrical object is better than a missile from the DPRK...

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Toasted Heretic

Unfortunately completely disagree with you.

But I assume you are figuring that anything that isn’t liberal is right wing and war mongering? I grew up in countries getting totally messed up and the people ruined by their enemies.

People who have had coddled lives in first world nations have rarely experienced what happens in conflict.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Very unprofessional to have left this on before flying.

Sounds like a pitot tube cover or something similar. Anything with FLIGHT REMOVE on it is an item any member of the crew should have picked up on before taking off, they are mandatory items on a pre-flight walkaround, they're right at the top of the first checklist.

Sorry, no sympathy from me on this one. There is absolutely no reason for something like that to fall off the aircraft, ever. Pure sloppiness on the part of the aircrew. A glass or plastic object falling from that height can and will kill children if they're hit by it.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

451 objects in the last 8yrs have fallen off planes over Japan including J airlines. Thats the ones that were reported. Just stated on the J news tonight. So some people are just making a mountain from a mole hill id say

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Had there been a Fatality would there be any difference in Compensation were it to have been a US Military aircraft or a Japanese Civil/Military Aircraft ?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Difficulty steering boats, driving trucks, handling their beer, and now keeping their planes all together certainly makes one feel confidence in the military and ever so much safer.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Gov. Onaga is the governor of all of Okinawa and is responsible for all of Okinawa not just the people of Ginowan. The people of Henoko are just as important as the people of Ginowan. Moving MCAS Futenma to Henoko does not mean that there will be no more Marine Corps aircraft incidents on Okinawa. Marine Corps Aircraft will still be flying over large populated areas of Okinawa including Naha and Ginowan. Do you think that because they are moving to Henoko that they will only be flying over the ocean all of the time? The problem is not with Gov. Onaga, the problem is with the U.S. Military continuously commiting crimes and causing incidents on Okinawa. The Japanese Govt. needs to wake up and realize that Okinawa is too small of an island and the population has grown too large to host all of these bases and all of the training that takes place here. Remove all of the Marines and return the land that they occupy back for local use. Keep Kadena Air Base, White Beach, Torii Station and Fort Buckner the Army Communication Center located behind Futenma Shrine. Those U.S. Military Bases along with the JSDF Base at Naha and the various JSDF Missile sites on Okinawa are more than enough burden for the people of Okinawa to bear for the defense of Japan.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Civitas Sine SuffragioDec. 7 04:05 pm JSTWouldn't want American military aircraft flying over my kids' schools, and I don't see why the Okinawan people have to put up with it either.

That's correct. So we've been trying to move to Henoko and close down Futenma which is located in a highly populated area. Makes sensed right? But certain political factions continue to hamper this move. The decision to move was made 20 years ago. Will Gov Onaga take personal responsibility he next time there is an accident involving Futenma based aircraft?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Just going by the scant details from the above story.

Can you link to the verification on it being from a helicopter, ta.

Line from the actual article: A government source said the U.S. military CH-53 transport helicopter...

I can picture you frothing at the mouth to get to the comments section as soon as read 'U.S. military aircraft' in the article name.

This suck, but accidents happen. Stuff falls off aircraft all the time, so we better ground them all. I hope you like traveling by boat.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I admit the only reason most of these are defending US is because there is a "possibly" word in the article. I can not see otherwise why a sane person would defend this occurrence. For in the time of peace, such an accident to happen, and just imagine it was a precise hit, how different it would have been from wartime assault? Would have been twice as wrong, if you ask me.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I admit the only reason most of these are defending US is because there is a "possibly" word in the article. I can not see otherwise why a sane person would defend this occurrence. For in the time of peace, such an accident to happen, and just imagine it was a precise hit, how different it would have been from wartime assault? Would have been twice as wrong, if you ask me.

No one is 'defending' the US for the incident, only pointing out the hypocrisy that there are hundreds of objects falling off of aircraft every year, but people only get up in arms and call it a tragedy when it happens with a US aircraft.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

It is the first time it made news here in the course of 7 years, that is for sure. The actual difference is, that the supposed vehicle that supposedly dropped the object was an army aircraft. Not a scheduled passenger plane. If anything, had something tragic happened, that particular U.S. (Japanese, Chinese, whatever) vehicle would have fulfilled its purpose.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

It is the first time it made news here in the course of 7 years, that is for sure.

That is because it is only newsworthy if it happens with a US military aircraft.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The Japanese government, and NHK as their mouthpiece have to be very careful reporting about this, because they are responsible for allowing the US to maintain a base there.

Naturally the people of Okinawa have had enough over the years and want mainland Japan to share more of the burden, that is the noise and the danger and their land under requisition. One thing they have repeatedly requested the US authorities is for flight paths to be chosen where military aircraft do not fly directly over housing. Some of the large military jets are deafening as they come into land, low over the rooftops. As a visitor I was astonished at the level of sound.

But what is worse is helicopters and now especially Ospreys, in that when these rotors are compromised, they cannot continue level flight and tend to drop like a stone.

What is being asked is generally reasonable, but as happened a couple of days ago, when Ospreys circle above for hours on end, people get very, very irritated.

Then when a glass/plastic composite cover falls from a helicopter, onto a nursery roof, it is or could be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Gov. Onaga is the governor of all of Okinawa and is responsible for all of Okinawa not just the people of Ginowan. The people of Henoko are just as important as the people of Ginowan. Moving MCAS Futenma to Henoko does not mean that there will be no more Marine Corps aircraft incidents on Okinawa. Marine Corps Aircraft will still be flying over large populated areas of Okinawa including Naha and Ginowan.

You have been taken in by the propaganda too it seems. Onaga doesn't care about anything right now, other than Henoko, and any other change to play dram-queen on TV to push his agenda. He is playing the victim card to no end, and there are plenty that are getting tired of it, since he has not been doing his job as Gov.

You talk a good game but the reality is totally different!

You seem to think that by moving the base to Henoko there will be flights over Naha and Ginowan, there are few US flights over Naha today, and moving the base north will lessen that even more, and NO they wont be flying over "large" populated areas either, what you wrote is dead wrong, and just spouting propaganda, without thinking for yourself about the facts.

Remove all of the Marines and return the land that they occupy back for local use. Keep Kadena Air Base, White Beach, Torii Station and Fort Buckner the Army Communication Center located behind Futenma Shrine. Those U.S. Military Bases along with the JSDF Base at Naha and the various JSDF Missile sites on Okinawa are more than enough burden for the people of Okinawa to bear for the defense of Japan.

Your "anti-Marine" stance not withstanding, you know little about the composition of the JSDF on Okinawa if you think these are the "only" bases or facilities they run. You also get the "needs" wrong too but its senseless to but heads against a brick wall.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

But what is worse is helicopters and now especially Ospreys, in that when these rotors are compromised, they cannot continue level flight and tend to drop like a stone.

No they don't. Helicopters use auto rotation to land safely in the event of engine failure. They don't just drop like stones.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Right and wrong, helicopters can only autorotate from above a given attitude, too low and ...

Ospreys like the Chinook got crosslinks between the engines, if one fails the other can power both rotors granted diminished power(no hovering but forward flight/landing).

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Altitude.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Anyway, glad this little shield caused no harm. All’s well that ends well, although there will be serious efforts going on behind the scenes to find out how this happened. I saw on the news this evening a US spokesman was saying it was unlikely to have been dropped from a military aircraft. Is he suggesting someone threw it up onto the roof there?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I saw on the news this evening a US spokesman was saying it was unlikely to have been dropped from a military aircraft. Is he suggesting someone threw it up onto the roof there?

I think he is suggesting that it fell from a different aircraft...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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