Dec. 1—An F-16 Fighting Falcon dropped two external fuel tanks Tuesday evening before making an emergency landing at Aomori Airport in northeastern Japan.
The tanks fell into a nonresidential area near Mount Iwaki, about 70 miles west of Misawa Air Base, according to a statement from the 35th Fighter Wing on Tuesday.
However, local police and defense bureau representatives said parts fell on a coastal town farther west of the mountain and 100 miles west of the air base.
The fighter jet landed around 6 p.m. following the in-flight emergency, according to the wing's statement. The wing did not indicate the nature of the emergency. It said no injuries resulted from the incident.
A spokeswoman for the Tohoku Defense Bureau said parts of one tank were found in Fukaura, a coastal town about 30 miles west of Mount Iwaki. The defense bureau is the local representative of the Japan Ministry of Defense.
The bureau on Tuesday evening protested the incident to the Misawa Air Base commander, calling it "extremely regrettable," and of concern to officials and local residents, the spokeswoman said. The bureau asked the Air Force to identify the cause of the incident as soon as possible and to take preventative measures, she added.
The wing was not aware that a tank fell into a residential area, Tech. Sgt. Timothy Moore of Misawa's public affairs office told Stars and Stripes by phone Wednesday morning.
"The safety of our Airmen and our Japanese neighbors is our number one priority during flying operations," the wing vice commander, Col. Timothy Murphy, was quoted in the statement as saying. "As we conduct a thorough investigation to determine the root cause of this incident, we are grateful to our community partners who consistently support our mission."
A passerby reported smelling oil and finding aluminum parts along a road at 6:25 p.m. Tuesday, a spokesman for the Ajigasawa police told Stars and Stripes on Wednesday.
At the scene, police found parts, one about 3 1/2 feet long, the spokesman said.
The police and defense bureau spokespeople said the parts fell near scattered homes and the town hall. No injuries were reported but a sidewalk handrail was damaged, the police spokesman said. Firefighters left the parts nearby for the U.S. military to collect, he said.
Government spokespeople in Japan customarily speak to the media on condition of anonymity.
The F-16 remained on the runway until 12:25 a.m. Wednesday, an Aomori Airport spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone Wednesday. Seven commercial flights were canceled Tuesday evening as a result, he said. Commercial flights resumed Wednesday morning, he said.
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