Osprey crash in Florida jeopardizes deployment in Japan

USNinJapan 2,

Thanks for pointing out an error. I should have mentioned CATC Camp Fuji, another Marine training facility located just at the foot of Mt. Fuji, rather than Sasebo (although the naval base at Sasebo may be able to host one or two 75-meter helipads for the Osprey). Today's Ryukyu Shimpo, an Okinawa newspaper, reports planned flight schedules for the Osprey in detail using 2 full facing pages. I wish you could read Japanese and understand how well we are informed about the deployment of the Osprey.

The moot point is that Japan-U.S. relations remain like those of a WW II victor and a loser, or a suzerain and a colony, even 67 years after the end of the hostilities. From Okinawa, this unnatural and repugnant state of affairs can be seen very clearly. So we'll keep voicing our views to correct this unjustness. Mind you. It's not a little people's whining as some posters pejoratively call.

voiceofokinawa

Sasebo Naval Base and Iwakuni Marine Air Base are thus within an easy reach for the aircraft. It was announced that Futenma, Sasebo and Iwakuni are triangular routes for the Osprey's training. So, beware, mainlanders. Futenma is in your neighborhood already.

You are simply making this up. Sasebo has no airfield. The ships of the Amphibious Readiness Group in Sasebo sail down to Okinawa to pick up their 31st MEU Marines and embark the collocated Marine Air Combat Element (which will eventually include the V22) precisely because Sasebo is not an air-capable base. There will be no training flights to Sasebo as there will never be a need for Marine aircraft to fly there. Nice try.

The Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey has the flight range of 1,627 km. That's a distance from Futenma to the northern edge of Kanto Plain, where Tokyo is. Sasebo Naval Base and Iwakuni Marine Air Base are thus within an easy reach for the aircraft. It was announced that Futenma, Sasebo and Iwakuni are triangular routes for the Osprey's training. So, beware, mainlanders. Futenma is in your neighborhood already.

Here's the track of accidents involving the Osprey: 6/1991: Crashed in Delaware 7/1992: Crashed at the Potomac in Virginia; 7 casualties 4/2000: Crashed in Arizona: 19 casualties 12/2000: Crashed in North Carolina; 4 casualties 3/2006: Crash landing in North Carolina 11/2007: Engine fire while in flight in North Carolina 4/2010: Crashed in Afghanistan; 4 casualties 4/2012: Crashed in Morocco; 2 casualties and 2 heavy injuries 6/2012: Crashed in Florida

but once the kinks are worked out it should be fine.

but it has been 23 years, since it's maiden flight. i bet in another 2 more decades, it'll still have kinks that needs to be worked out.

it seems that the Osprey is the hardest aircraft to control to fly if the accidents were caused by pilot errors. No pilot would be able to fly this aircraft normally. Poor test pilots, little mistakes always would cause a big crash.

The same thing was said about the Harrier as well when it first came on line. It does take special training to fly one of these things it's seems, but once the kinks are worked out it should be fine.

Just don't fly them over civilian areas - something North Korea did not do with their earlier failed rocket launches.

Another good reason for the Okinawans to justify their resentment of US troops on their isles!

Another crash? Stick with choppers... Merlin can carry more troops, can carry a Land Rover internally and has a slightly longer range.

It seems this plane is very difficult to fly. The report said this was an accident, then said they would investigate to find the cause. If something has a "cause", then it is not "accidental", but merely following the laws involved in that situation. Cause and effect is how everything on Earth works. The word "accident" should be deleted from all languages and replaced by "incident", "unfortunate event, etc.

adjutant, per flight hour it's no worse than many of the army's older choppers

I think it's a rather cool aircraft, but the Osprey's safety record has been anything but cool.

Heck, if it's danger they're talking about, why don't they ban people from eating mochi too? I'm sure there are more mochi related deaths in Japan each year than there are Osprey related deaths, worldwide

So true, hate America until you need them. Mochi is a bigger killer but it's a cultural thing, remember anyone NOT Japanese are trying to kill Japanese.

I saw the mayor or whatever on TV last night talking about how dangerous the Osprey is, like he was an aviation expert and knew everything about them.

If the U.S. wants to have Ospreys at their bases, they should be able to.

The crash of a U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey during a training mission in Florida on Wednesday may delay the aircraft’s deployment to Japan, the government said Thursday.

and

Yamaguchi Sekinari Nii met with Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto on Thursday and called for the deployment to be suspended, TV Asahi reported. Nii said the safety of the aircraft cannot be guaranteed.

They better stop people driving cars then too. How many accidents kill or injure how many people with cars? Compare that to the same numbers for Ospreys.

Comes with standard airbags ^_^

The Osprey is not just a single machine that happens to not be perfect. It is an in-the-field, functional design that is the precursor for much better things to come ... both military and eventually private

ultradork, if what you say is true, please bring us the second generation of these "revolutionary aircrafts". It's a delicate timing for Japan as with the bases in Okinawa, so waiting is no problem. The american pilots can even wait.

ultradork, what you say is interesting and probably true, but the good folk of Okinawa do not want anyone ironing out their first generation bugs in the skies right above them.

it seems that the Osprey is the hardest aircraft to control to fly if the accidents were caused by pilot errors. No pilot would be able to fly this aircraft normally. Poor test pilots, little mistakes always would cause a big crash.

The Osprey is a revolutionary style of aircraft ... just as the helicopter was back in its day. If you compare the number of crashes that helicopters had before they became as reliable and ubiquitous as they are today, the Osprey actually starts to look pretty good. It is just back then the politics were not played out on the internet by chair-force pilots. If you take out the accidents caused by vortex ring state, which is now a know condition easily avoided, the history is actually quite reasonable. It is the first of a new breed ... it will not be perfect and it will be expensive. By the time this technology hits 2nd or 3rd generation the US will have a massive tactical advantage over other nations. Whatever style of combat that will be encountered in the future, there will likely be a need to get boots on the ground and equipment moved. Transports are not going away any time soon. When it comes to transports, the Osprey already significantly beats helicopters in the areas that matter: range, speed and lift ... and it is only first generation. The next generations should be able to address some of the short comings of the Osprey like armament and reliability. They will likely add range, speed and lift capacity as well. Helicopters are mature ... they do not have much range to improve. The Osprey is not just a single machine that happens to not be perfect. It is an in-the-field, functional design that is the precursor for much better things to come ... both military and eventually private (just like helicopters). People who slam the Osprey are either short-sighted or political pawns (most likely both).

It was a USAF Osprey so clearly just a case of pilot error. : )

edward & soldave: I think both of you are wrong. The Japanese government will get a detailed accident report. What they disclose to the Japanese public is another story.

This is pure posturing for the puppet public. The following is from the governors playbook. Puff out chest, make a strongly worded demand, satisfy public, exhale and bow while taking payment to accept assurances about safety. Do nothing new until next election cycle. Good job!

edwardstark - Indeed. It'd be like asking the Japanese government for a clear account of what is going on with the nuclear plant at Fukushima. No way you'd get a clear answer.

Ha. You suspend nothing. Japan is owned by America. Never forget that.

and asked the U.S. to provide full details of the Florida accident as soon as possible.

Good luck with that. The U.S. government is under the impression that keeping secrets is an inalienable right for the U.S. government, but no one else. Expect as many details about this crash as you got for the last one.