US Fighter Jet Dumps Fuel Tank Before Emergency Landing In Aomori, Japan Calls For Investigation

JAKARTA - Japan asked the United States military to ground its fleet of F-16 fighter jets in the country, after one of its fighter jets dumped two fuel tanks in northeastern Japan, before making an emergency landing last Tuesday, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said.

Japan's Ministry of Defense said it had submitted a request to suspend operations of the F-16 fighter jets until their safety was confirmed, following an incident in Aomori Prefecture on Tuesday that sparked security concerns when a tank appeared to land in a residential area although no one was injured.

In addition, Japan's Ministry of Defense also asked US troops to investigate the incident, officials said.

"This matter is very serious," Kishi told reporters, adding he "instructed ministry officials to work closely with the United States to collect and analyze information to ensure that all possible actions are taken," he said, quoted by Kyodo News December 2.

Meanwhile, Misawa Air Base's 35th Fighter Wing said in a statement, an F-16 fighter jet encountered problems during flight and its pilot dumped a fuel tank in an uninhabited area, near Mount Iwaki in Aomori Prefecture.

The plane landed at Aomori Airport at around 18:10 p.m. on Tuesday. Police saw metal fragments and liquid believed to be fuel about 20 to 30 meters from several houses in Fukaura City, with a population of about 7.600, which is about 30 kilometers from Mount Iwaki.

The disposal of the tank follows a number of similar incidents by US fighter jets in the northeastern prefecture in recent years.

Separately, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a press conference Wednesday that the Japanese government had conveyed to US troops in Japan that the dumping was regrettable.

Meanwhile, Colonel Timothy Murphy, deputy commander of Misawa Air Base's 35th Fighter Wing, told Fukaura Mayor Mitsuru Yoshita when they met Wednesday, "We deeply regret that fuel tanks entered the city. We are very grateful that it did not happen, didn't hurt anyone."

"What can I tell you, we have a very thorough investigation into the incident," he explained.

Not only that, but Murphy also said he deeply regretted his party's initial statement, which said the pilot dumped the fuel tank in an uninhabited area.

Meanwhile, Aomori Governor Shingo Mimura said the prefectural government would make a "serious protest" to the US military and Ministry of Defense over the matter.

Senior deputy defense minister Makoto Oniki visited Aomori to inform local officials about the incident.

Please note, Aomori Airport resumed operations on Wednesday morning after an emergency landing prompted the closure of the airport's only runway, affecting some domestic flights, according to the prefectural government.

The Tohoku Defense Bureau said it had confirmed the metal object found near the city government office in Fukaura was one of two tanks dropped from the jet. The other tank has not been found.

In 2015, an F-16 fighter jet dumped its fuel tanks into the Sea of Japan in Aomori Prefecture. Three years later, another F-16 fighter jet dumped its fuel tank into a lake near the Misawa base in 2018.