A U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey of the 353rd Special Operations Wing lands at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Sept. 24, 2025. (Jacob Wood/U.S. Air Force)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan – A U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey made a precautionary landing Wednesday at a Navy air base southwest of Tokyo, according to the 353rd Special Operations Wing.
The tiltrotor landed at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, headquarters of Fleet Air Western Pacific, at around 8.30 p.m., wing spokesman Capt. Cullen Drenkhahn said by email Monday.
“The aircrew executed the precautionary landing out of an overabundance of caution and in accordance with standard safety protocols,” he said.
No injuries or damage resulted from the event and airport operations were not interrupted, Drenkhahn said.
“A thorough assessment was conducted and determined the aircraft had no mechanical issues and that the initial cockpit warnings were false indications,” he said.
The Osprey flew back to Yokota, home to U.S. Forces Japan in western Tokyo, on Friday afternoon, he said.
North Kanto Defense Bureau, part of Japan’s Defense Ministry, made no requests regarding the incident since it happened on a U.S. installation.
However, the bureau has been urging American officials to take thorough safety precautions, a spokesman for the bureau told Stars and Stripes by phone Monday.
Some Japanese government officials may speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.
In response to the incident, a group of local authorities expressed regret in a letter to Col. Richard McElhaney, commander of Yokota and the 374th Airlift Wing.
Tokyo and five cities and a town near Yokota, in their letter, urged a thorough investigation and measures to prevent a recurrence, Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s base affairs official said by phone Monday.
“Aircraft malfunctions during flight can lead to serious accidents involving loss of life and cause anxiety among many residents. Furthermore, residents living near the base still have concerns about the safety and operation of the Osprey,” according to the letter posted on Hamura city’s website.
The local governments had already requested investigations and measures to prevent recurrence of the precautionary landings by Yokota-based Ospreys in July and October 2025, and February 2026, according to the letter. It also urges American officials to provide information regarding the causes of those incidents.
“It is regrettable that such incidents have occurred consecutively,” the letter states.
AloJapan.com