Sunday, April 22, 2001

By Wayne Specht, Misawa bureau chief

Wayne Specht / Stars and Stripes The Sasebo-based salvage vessel USS Safeguard rides at anchor in the Pacific Ocean Saturday one-half mile east of Ripsaw Range, located 12 miles north of Misawa Air Base, Japan. The ship was scheduled to begin salvage operations to retrieve a Misawa F-16 aircraft that crashed just offshore April 3.

AMAGAMORI, Japan — For the second time in two months, the Sasebo-based salvage vessel USS Safeguard returned to the waters off northern Japan to search for the wreckage of a Misawa F-16.

As dawn broke Saturday, the ship and its crew of about 100 sat at anchor, along with a Japan Coast Guard vessel, about half a mile east of Ripsaw Range. The 13th Fighter Squadron F-16CJ crashed there April 3 during air-to-ground training at the joint-use range.

First Lt. Mark Hadley safely ejected before the $20 million aircraft plunged into the ocean about 2,500 feet offshore.

In February, the Safeguard unsuccessfully searched Sea of Japan waters near Hokkaido for two Misawa F-16s that collided during an exercise last November. Water depths where the F-16 crashed earlier this month are considerably more shallow.

Japanese Maritime Safety Agency specialists used sonar April 5 and 6 to locate the wreckage lying in 16 to 20 feet of water, said MSA spokesman Masahiro Yamaguchi.

"We searched for the wreckage as a safety precaution for other ships," Yamaguchi said, adding that Air Force officials at Misawa did not request MSA’s assistance in locating the wreckage.

Two MSA divers descended to the wreckage April 4 and reported the aircraft’s tail numbers to Air Force officials, who confirmed it was Hadley’s aircraft.

Few pieces of wreckage have been recovered. The largest piece was part of the 370-gallon external fuel tank that washed up on a beach in Rokkasho Village north of the crash site.

Initial recovery operations that began at 7 a.m. Saturday involve establishing the location of the wreckage and positions of fishing nets and marine obstacles.

Air Force officials said the 255-foot-long Safeguard may not be able to moor directly over the wreckage, but instead will anchor about 1,000 yards from shore for safety purposes. Plans call for three 35-foot boats aboard the Safeguard to work in the shallow waters.

Safety board investigators listed parts they want recovered that may help determine the mishap’s cause. All recovered parts will be brought to the base for the investigation.

Of most interest is the aircraft’s single engine, and flight and data recorders that register positions of flight controls at the time of the accident.

Air Force officials also want to recover ejection seats carried aboard the two-seat aircraft, as well as practice munitions carried under the wings — some of which carry small explosive charges.

Fishermen with the Misawa Fishery Cooperative complained that petroleum products leaking from the aircraft threatened their livelihoods. About 20 co-op ships resumed fishing south of the crash site April 15.

Recovery operations are being done with concern for the environment, an Air Force spokeswoman said.

"To minimize environmental impact by fuel or oil releases, two types of containment will be used," said deputy pubic affairs chief 1st Lt. Tonya Summerall.

Absorbent booms will circle the recovery area when wreckage is pulled from the water, she said. Absorbent pads will keep the parts’ leakage from rolling off the Safeguard’s deck.

Norio Muroi contributed to this report.

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