An Air Force CV-22B Osprey of the 21st Special Operations Squadron, takes flight for the first time since November 2023 at Yokota Air Base, Japan, July 2, 2024. (Samantha White/U.S. Air Force)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — CV-22 Osprey aircraft resumed flights from this airlift hub in western Tokyo on Tuesday, 216 days after a crash off Japan’s southern coast killed eight airmen.
The return to flight by aircraft from the 21st Special Operations Squadron was announced by the 374th Airlift Wing in a news release that day.
The wing did not specify what type of flight operations the aircraft undertook or how many Ospreys were flown Tuesday.
The U.S. military grounded its fleet of about 400 Ospreys — tiltrotor aircraft that fly like airplanes but take off and land like helicopters — between Dec. 6 and March 8 as it investigated the Nov. 29 crash in southern Japan of a special operations Osprey based at Yokota.
Marine Corps and Navy Ospreys have been flying for months but the fleet will not be permitted to fly its full range of missions until mid-2025, the leader of the aircraft program told House lawmakers last month. The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force also resumed flights by its Osprey fleet in the spring.
The Marines and Navy described their Ospreys’ return to flight as a phased-in approach; the Air Force did likewise.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the safety of the men and women who operate our aircraft and the safety of our community both on base and in Japan,” Lt. Col. Matthew Davis, commander of the 21st Special Operations Squadron, said in the release.
A representative for Yokota did not respond to a request for further information and to interview Davis.
A crew chief marshals an Air Force CV-22B Osprey after returning from a flight at Yokota Air Base, Japan, July 2, 2024. (Samantha White/U.S. Air Force)
Ahead of the return to flight, some residents of Fussa, the densely packed urban community outside Yokota’s main gate, expressed trepidation, a spokesman for the city’s base affairs division told Stars and Stripes in May.
“We are concerned for the safety since there has not been sufficient explanation provided on the cause of the accident and the measures to be taken,” he said at the time.
However, Davis in the wing release said safety mitigation measures were taken seriously.
“We would not fly this aircraft without full confidence in the measures, the maintenance professionals implementing them, and the skilled professionals who fly it,” he said.
Air Force Special Operations Command implemented a multiphased approach to ensure aircrew, maintainers and aircraft were ready to resume flight operations.
The decision to return the V-22 Osprey to flight was informed by a meticulous and data-driven approach, according to the release.
“The CV-22 community continues to ensure they are adhering to the highest standards of readiness for both the aircrew and support personnel,” it states.
During the grounding and when preparing to return to flight, airmen maintained their proficiency through rigorous simulator training sessions, focusing on both routine operations and emergency scenarios, according to the wing.
They also trained on the latest technical updates, maintenance practices and safety protocols related to the CV-22, according to the release.
“This training ensures all personnel remain proficient, prepared, and confident as they return to flight,” it states.
