On Tuesday (30), during an in-flight emergency, the pilot of a USAF F-16 had to eject its two external tanks. However, at least one of the tanks ended up crashing in a residential area. Nobody got hurt.
Before making an emergency landing at Aomori Airport, northwest of the country, the pilot of the F-16CJ of the US had to jettison its two external fuel tanks. The aircraft landed at around 18:10 pm local time, causing the small airport to close. The plane belongs to the 13th Fighter Squadron of the 35th Fighter Wing.
Then, the Wing, based at Misawa Air Base (distant about 100 miles from Aomori) reported through a note that the tanks were dumped over an unpopulated area around Mount Iwaki, in Aomori Prefecture.
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However, one of the tanks ended up crashing in a residential area of Fukaura City. The police were called and saw parts of the artifact next to a liquid that appeared to be combustible. The area was quickly cordoned off, local police and the Tohoku Department of Defense said. It was also reported that there was a strong smell of fuel in the area.
After that, the 35th Ward issued another note, saying that "One of the fuel tanks appears to have landed in an open public area in Fukaura City, Aomori Prefecture."
“Our pilot acted quickly and in accordance with standard procedures to minimize the risk of injury and potential damage,” said Deputy Commander of the 35th Wing, Colonel Timothy B. Murphy.
“As we conduct a thorough investigation to determine the root cause of this incident, we are grateful to our Japanese partners and local community leaders for their understanding in this matter.”
Ministry of Defense asked to ground F-16s
According to the Japanese portal Kyodo News, citing local authorities, the cause of the emergency landing remains unknown. It is also unclear when the airport will be able to open its runway, as the F-16 "is unable to leave.” A provincial government official criticized the incident as something “That shouldn’t happen”.
After the incident, Japan's Ministry of Defense is also expected to ask the US to ground its F-16s deployed in the country, as a security measure. In a statement published on the folder's website, Minister Nobuo Kishi said he will ask the USAF to keep the fighters on the ground until it is confirmed that the jets are safe to fly, observes the Stars and Stripes.
This Wednesday (01), Sergeant Matthew Kakaris, spokesman for the 35th Wing, told the Stars and Stripes who had no response to the Ministry's statement to share.
On the night of the incident, the Tohoku Department of Defense protested the incident, calling it a “extremely regrettable” and worrying for local authorities and residents.
The department also asked the USAF to identify the cause of the incident as soon as possible and take preventive measures, a spokeswoman added.
Specialized in destroying radars
The 35th Fighter Wing was originally created in 1948, but has been activated and reactivated several times over the years.
Its first headquarters was Iruma Air Base in Japan, but since 1994 the unit has been based in Misawa. The site is also home to US Navy patrol planes and Japanese Air Self-Defense Force fighter, training, early warning and rotary wing aircraft.
Under the command of the 35th Wing are the 13th and 14th Fighter Squadrons, both equipped with F-16CJ/DJ Fighting Falcon fighters. This variant is dedicated to Wild Weasel missions, whose main objective is Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD). In a nutshell, the unit specializes in finding and destroying enemy radar antennas.
