Two Japanese F-35A stealth fighter jets had to make emergency landings at a commercial airport in northern Japan on Monday, according to officials. The incident occurred during a routine training flight from Misawa Air Base.
The fighter jets safely landed at Aomori Airport after one of them experienced a mechanical problem and requested an emergency landing, airport officials confirmed. Fortunately, no injuries or damages were reported as a result of the incident.
Japan's Air Self-Defense Force did not disclose specific details regarding the nature of the mechanical issue that led to the emergency landing.
The airport's operations were briefly interrupted as its runway had to be closed for about 20 minutes to accommodate the emergency landing. Normal operations resumed shortly after.
This incident adds to a series of challenges faced during flight training exercises conducted by Japan's military. Earlier this year in April, two Japanese navy SH-60K Seahawk helicopters crashed in the Pacific Ocean south of Tokyo during a night-time anti-submarine warfare training exercise. One crew member was killed, and seven others went missing.
In a separate incident last month, a C-2 transport aircraft carrying eight people was forced to make an emergency landing at a commercial airport in central Japan after a cockpit window opened during a training flight. Fortunately, there were no reports of damage or injuries from that incident.
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