A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon lands during a public flight demonstration at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Sept. 11, 2022. (Leon Redfern/U.S. Air Force)
A U.S. fighter made a precautionary landing Thursday in northern Japan, temporarily closing a shared military-commercial runway, according to Japan’s Ministry of Defense.
An F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 35th Fighter Wing made a precautionary landing at Misawa Air Base after the pilot identified a potential problem with the aircraft’s hydraulic system, a spokesman for the Tohoku Defense Bureau said by phone Friday. The bureau is an arm of the defense ministry.
The runway, which the air base shares with the commercial airport, was closed from 9:46 a.m. to 10:31 a.m., the spokesman said. A Japan Airlines flight to Haneda Airport in Tokyo was delayed due to the closure, he said. No injuries or damages were reported.
The defense bureau on Thursday urged Misawa base commander Col. Paul Davidson to investigate the incident, promptly provide information and take safety measures, such as conducting checks and maintenance to prevent a recurrence, the spokesman said.
Officials at Misawa city and Aomori prefecture said Friday they made similar requests to Davidson and to the defense bureau.
Some government officials in Japan may speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.
An emergency landing at Misawa by an Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber April 29 closed the runway for about 90 minutes. An F-16 made a precautionary landing May 18, but the Air Force denied a report that the landing caused a 45-minute runway closure and attributed it instead to the late filing of an unrelated civilian flight plan.
