US Air Force Ospreys grounded with successive malfunctions, concerns of accidents; Okinawa governor to “confirm safety” of MV22 flights from Futenma. (19au22)
Splendor of Okinawa: Lagerstroemia speciosa, roadside Uruma,18au22 The US Air Force vertical take-off and landing transport CV22 Osprey has defects that may result in accidents. On 18 August, it was learned that the US Air Force had ordered all CV22 aircraft grounded. Yet, the MV22 Ospreys used by the US Marines deployed at the US Military Futenma Airfield were confirmed to be taking off and landing as of 18 August. It seems the Marines are not taking measures to ground their Ospreys, although the CV22 and the MV22 are structurally all but the same aircraft. Governor Denny Tamaki expressed his feelings thus, “If the same problems apply to the MV22, they should be grounded to confirm their safety.” In response to a query by the Ryukyu Shimpo, the US Air Force in Okinawa claimed the grounding had begun on 16 August and would continue for the time being. The CV22s in Japan are stationed at Yokota Air Base, but are temporarily deployed to other bases and so fly in and out of Kadena ...