KAGOSHIMA, Japan - A U.S. military MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft made an emergency landing at an airport in southwestern Japan on Wednesday and took off again about three hours later.
The Osprey is assigned to U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa Prefecture, and was transporting personnel as part of the Japan-U.S. joint Keen Sword exercise, according to Japan's Defense Ministry.
The aircraft landed at Tanegashima airport on Tanegashima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture around 10:10 a.m. and took off again around 1:20 p.m. No injuries or disruptions to civilian flight operations were reported, according to the ministry's Kyushu Defense Bureau and other sources.
Tanegashima airport officials were informed of the landing by the transport ministry's Kagoshima airport office about 10 minutes prior.
Another Osprey, which had been scheduled to use the airport, landed at 12:25 p.m. and took off about 30 minutes later.
The Kagoshima prefectural government has asked the central government to urge the United States to determine the cause of the first aircraft's emergency landing and prevent a recurrence.
