US and Japanese forces to resume Osprey flights in Japan following fatal crash

TOMIOKA, Japan (AP) — The U.S. and Japanese militaries will resume flights of Osprey aircraft in Japan after completing necessary maintenance and training following a fatal crash in southern Japan last November, officials said Wednesday.

The Osprey aircraft, which can take off like a helicopter and then fly like an airplane, has had a troubled history, including numerous crashes.

Japan’s Defense Ministry said the two countries have discussed the resumption of Osprey flights in Japan since the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command announced last Friday that the aircraft has been approved to return to service after an “unprecedented” part failure led to the deaths of eight U.S. service members in the crash in Japan.

The entire U.S. Osprey fleet was grounded on Dec. 6, a week after that crash. Japan’s military also grounded all of its 14 Ospreys.

Japan’s Defense Ministry said each of the U.S. forces will have separate return-to-flight schedules, and that Japan and the United States have “closely” discussed a timeline for the resumption of Osprey flights in Japan. Aircraft that have completed necessary maintenance and training will return to flight as early as Thursday, the ministry said.

It said the crash was caused by a part problem, not a faulty Osprey design, and that similar problems can be prevented in the future by taking steps to mitigate the identified cause. It did not provide further details.

The Osprey flights will be limited to areas around their bases for the time being, the ministry said, in an apparent effort to address the safety concerns of residents in Okinawa, where most of the U.S. military Ospreys in Japan are deployed. There has been vocal opposition there to the aircraft.

Okinawa is home to Marine Corps Air