Serious Incident in Okinawa

A helicopter of Air Self-defense Force caused a “serious incident” on Wednesday, in which it made two passenger jets involved in a crash on the ground, if prevention measures had failed. Making matters worse, the incident occurred in Okinawa, where prevalent occupation of the land by U.S. Force was putting pressure on the ordinary life of the people. Skepticism on activities of the military will further be disseminated on the island.

A CH-47 helicopter of Air Self-defense Force flew crossing a runway of Naha International Airport, while an aircraft of All Nippon Airways with eighty-three passengers and attendants were taking off to Sapporo, Hokkaido. The passenger aircraft was successful in stopping its attempt of take-off and remained on the runway, but another aircraft of Japan Trans-ocean Airline was approaching the same runway from the backward of ANA plane. JTA plane managed to land and stopped four hundred metes before ANA plane on the runway.

Firstly, ASDF helicopter was the most responsible for the incident. While the control tower ordered the helicopter to wait, the pilot started taking off, wrongly realizing an order to ANA for leaving as permission for helicopter. Even if the pilot recognizes the sign as permission for him, he needed to stop when he realized a passenger aircraft was in the motion of taking off. If ANA pilot had not found a flying ASDF helicopter, great accident might have happened.

Secondly, control tower of Naha airport was incompetent in dealing with the crucial incident. Although the officer argued that he ordered JTA aircraft to retry the approach to the airport, the pilot of JTA told that it was after the aircraft had landed when he received the order from the control tower. JTA pilot thought it was dangerous to take off after landing, following the guidance from control tower, and succeeded in stopping his plane before hitting ANA plane on the runway.

However, indirect but major reason of the incident was existence of U.S. Force in Okinawa. Naha International Airport is used both by Japanese Self-defense Force and private aviation companies. It only has one runway with 3,000 meters. Single runway causes highly frequent take-offs and landings. More than one aircraft in two minutes use the runway between 1 and 2 p.m. Tokyo government is considering adding another runway in the development plan in Okinawa.

Dense population and transportation in Okinawa can be attributed to great occupation of the land by U.S. Force. People in Okinawa would think that ASDF should use runway of U.S. base in the same context of military. It is obvious that the incident will bring another argument over burden of U.S. military in Okinawa.