Two fighter jets make emergency landings in Japan within a day

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 15 - A Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15 fighter jet experienced a malfunction during a flight training mission on the 14th and made an emergency landing. On the same day, a U.S. military F/A-18 aircraft made an emergency landing in Okinawa Prefecture.

According to Japanese media reports on the 15th, the F-15 fighter jet took off from a base in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, at around 10:20 AM local time on the 14th to conduct a training mission. More than ten minutes later, the pilot reported that the aircraft might have a malfunction. At around 11:20 AM, the fighter jet returned to the base for an emergency landing. To prevent brake failure, the aircraft used its tail hook to catch the arrestor wire on the runway to assist in braking during landing.

The base reported that the aircraft's oil pressure system had malfunctioned, and the pilot on board was not injured.

Since the base shares a runway with Komatsu Airport, this incident caused some flights to be delayed.

Reports indicate that including the incident on the 14th, there have been a total of 8 emergency landings of F-15s at Komatsu Base since 2017. In January 2022, an F-15 that took off from this base immediately crashed into the sea, resulting in the deaths of both crew members.

This photo was taken on November 25, 2023, showing the U.S. military's Futenma base in Okinawa, Japan. Photo by Xinhua reporter Feng Wuyong

Additionally, according to a report from the Okinawa Times website on the 15th, a U.S. military F/A-18 aircraft made an emergency landing in Okinawa Prefecture on the afternoon of the 14th. This aircraft belongs to the Iwakuni base in Yamaguchi Prefecture and flew to the U.S. military's Futenma base in Okinawa on the 13th along with three other aircraft of the same model. After taking off from Futenma base on the 14th, it made an emergency landing at the nearby Kadena Air Base, also using the arrestor wire during landing. The report did not specify the reason for the emergency landing of this aircraft. (Hui Xiaoshuang)