December 19, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo
An
MV-22 Osprey vertical takeoff-and-landing transport aircraft flew away
from U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan City at 1:58 p.m.
on December 19.
MV-22 Osprey aircraft belonging to U.S. Marine Corps Air Station
Futenma in Ginowan City took off the base and resumed the full flight
operation at 1:58 p.m. on December 19. The MV-22 vertical takeoff and
landing aircraft’s flight operations had been suspended after the crash
at the coast of Abu, Nago City in the night of December 13.
An MV-22 Osprey, which had been parked at the Iejima auxiliary airfield of Ie Island, took off at 2:32 p.m. on December 19.
The U.S. military explained that the reason for resuming flight on
July 19 was to return the Osprey, which was parked at the Iejima
auxiliary airfield, to Futenma.
It was confirmed on the afternoon of December 18 that an MV-22 was
parked at a helicopter-landing zone (helipad) near the landing zone “LHD
deck” of the island.
The aircraft had been flying to Ie Island before the accident took
place on December 13, but the date and reason for its operation have not
been revealed.
It is confirmed that trucks were coming and going at the Iejima
auxiliary airfield before noon on December 19 for resuming its flight.
The bulk of the wreckage remains without being able to recover at the crash scene of the aricraft.
In the situation that the recovery operation for the plane’s fuselage is
not completed six days after the crash, resuming the flights of the
MV-22s could fuel the prefectural people’s protest further.
At the Futenma base, an Osprey began rotating its propeller blades at about 1:43 p.m., and another 1:50 p.m. on the same day.
The Okinawa Defense Bureau officials conveyed the information on the
resumption of the flights for the Osprey aircraft to the prefectural
government and the concerned municipal offices, including Nago City on
the morning of the same day.
(English translation by T&CT)
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December 19, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo
琉球新報 2016年12月19日 14:14
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１３日夜に名護市安部の海岸で墜落して以降、飛行を停止していた米軍普天間飛行場所属の垂直離着陸輸送機ＭＶ２２オスプレイが１９日午後１時５８分、宜野湾市の普天間飛行場を離陸し、飛行を再開した。伊江島の補助飛行場からも午後２時３２分、駐機していた１機が離陸した。
オスプレイが墜落した名護市安部の現場ではまだ機体の大部分が回収されずに残っている。機体回収も完了しない状況で、事故から６日後に飛行再開することに県民の反発は一層強まりそうだ。
普天間飛行場のオスプレイ１機が１９日午後１時４３分ごろ、プロペラを回し始め、同５０分ごろにはもう１機のプロペラも回転を始めた。
米軍は１９日の飛行再開の理由について伊江島補助飛行場に駐機しているオスプレイを普天間に戻すためと説明していたとされる。
伊江村の着陸帯「ＬＨＤデッキ」付近にあるヘリコプター着陸帯（ヘリパッド）に１機が駐機しているのが１８日午後に確認されていた。同機体は事故が発生した１３日以前に伊江島に飛来していたとみられるが、飛来した詳しい期日や理由は明らかになっていない。
１９日正午前から伊江島補助飛行場ではトラックが行き交うなどしているのが確認されており、午後２時の飛行再開に向けて準備していたとみられる。
沖縄防衛局は米軍が１９日からオスプレイの飛行を全面再開する意向を受けて、同日朝、職員らを派遣し、県庁や名護市など地元関係自治体に飛行再開を伝えていた。【琉球新報電子版】
英文へ→Electronic extra edition: MV-22 Ospreys belonging to Futenma base resume full flight despite objections from Okinawa
U.S. soldiers section off the beach with restriction tape and clean up the wreckage of the airframe on December 15 in Abu, Nago City.
