>Monday, 15 May 2017:
>LR-2 Hayabusa.
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20170913-00050117-yom-soci
https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2017091301145&g=soc
https://mainichi.jp/articles/20170914/k00/00m/040/072000c
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/sapporo-news/20170913/3903571.html
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/20170913-OYT1T50117.html
Wednesday, 2017/09/13:
JGSDF announced accident report.
Evidence from data of flight recorder and voice recorder.
During landing approach, pilots and Hakodate AP controller conversed normally.
Pilot or co-pilot accidentally turned off auto-pilot, and aircraft began to descend.
Radio communication button was on in side of control grips, auto-pilot button was on out side of control grips, and pilot or co-pilot may accidentally touched wrong button.
30 seconds before crash, alarm [for two seconds] warned auto-pilot turned off, but pilots did not react.
Aircraft turning right [away from destination], and from altitude 1,100 m, suddenly descended, but flying in clouds, pilots not aware of aircraft attitude.
Soon, second alarm warned ground proximity.
10 seconds after second alarm, aircraft crashed.
Voice recorder recorded pilots’ surprise just before crash.
Six same type aircraft would resume flights from 2017/09/15.
>Saturday, 26 August 2017:
>SH-60J.
http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASK97514HK97UTIL01G.html
https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2017090701095&g=soc
https://mainichi.jp/articles/20170908/k00/00m/040/032000c
http://www.sankei.com/affairs/news/170907/afr1709070034-n1.html
2017/09/07:
JMSDF announced accident cause was human mistake, not mechanical malfunction.
Evidence from data of flight recorder, voice recorder, and survivor.
22:33, after took off, caution light warned values of azimuth indicator(s) at pilot and co-pilot’s displays had big difference.
22:48, main pilot switched off and on power supply of Attitude Heading Reference Systems [AHRS device that confirmed attitude of aircraft, and sent data to azimuth indicator], to correct error, according to control manual procedure.
When AHRS power switched off and on, automatic controls that also received data from AHRS to maintain attitude of aircraft, became not stable.
Nose pitched up, speed decreased, and attitude of aircraft began to lose balance.
Height 90-120 m, main pilot attempted to correct attitude, and to accelerate.
Nose pitched down, continued to descend, and crashed into sea, after more than 10 seconds.
During the procedure, co-pilot and two crew should aware attitude of aircraft and situation of surrounding, but they did not.
Same type helicopters would resume flights from 2017/09/08.
>Saturday, 26 August 2017:
>SH-60J.
http://flyteam.jp/news/article/83490
http://flyteam.jp/registration/8282
2017/08/29:
Accident aircraft probably 8282. #82.
http://www.mod.go.jp/msdf/formal/info/news/201708/20170830-01.pdf
http://www.toonippo.co.jp/news_too/nto2017/20170831028275.asp
https://topics.smt.docomo.ne.jp/article/toon/region/toon-104359516
2017/08/30:
JMSDF announced three missing crew’s ranks and names, after their families agreed.
Pilot: Lieutenant Commander Satou Yuuki, 36.
Co-pilot: Ensign Tajima Hiroaki, 24.
Air crew: Petty Officer Second Class Uchino Hiroki, 36.
Japanese blogger went to JASDF Houfu AB air show in 2015.
http://www.hikojour.jp/hikojourB/hikojourB0148.html
Photos of damaged F-2 at Matsushima AB in 2011.
http://www.hikojour.jp/hikojourB/OO1A90811.jpg
http://www.hikojour.jp/hikojourB/OO1A90821.jpg
http://www.hikojour.jp/hikojourB/OO1A90791.jpg
http://www.hikojour.jp/hikojourB/OO1A90801.jpg
http://www.hikojour.jp/hikojourB/OO1A90841.jpg
F-4 fighter and T-4 trainer use same control stick.
http://www.hikojour.jp/hikojourB/OO1A90671.jpg
Bonus: dudette who was one-day Houfu AB commander.
Tuesday, 29 August 2017:
MV-22B.
8014.
3rd MEF, USMC, based at MCAS Futenma, Okinawa Prefecture.
18:35, during flight from MCAS Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, to MCAS Futenma, Okinawa Prefecture, emergency landed, at Ooita AP, Ooita Prefecture.
Engine trouble.
After landed, right engine emitted white smoke.
Six crew not wounded.
Before landed, pilot contacted Ooita AP tower, said it had trouble, and would land after 5 minutes.
Tuesday, 2017/06/06, 20:40, same aircraft emergency landed, at Iejima Auxiliary AF, Iejima Island, Okinawa Prefecture.
2017/08/28, it emitted white smoke, at MCAS Iwakuni.
2017/08/30, mechanics from MCAS Iwakuni, decided it needed engine change on 2017/08/31.
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/videonews/nnn?a=20170830-00000012-nnn-soci
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/videonews/nnn?a=20170830-00000029-nnn-soci
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20170829-00000099-asahi-soci
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20170830-00000013-ryu-oki
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20170830-00000049-mai-soci
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20170830-00000124-mai-soci
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20170830-00000156-jij-soci
Saturday, 26 August 2017:
SH-60J.
JMSDF, based at DD-156 JDS Setogiri.
22:50, lost contact, sent distress signal, and crashed into sea, Tsugaru Strait, 90 km west-southwest of Tappizaki Cape, Aomori Prefecture.
Four male crew.
One crew rescued.
Three crew missing.
Pilot was Lieutenant Commander Satou Yuuki (36).
DD-156 JDS Setogiri is Asagiri Class destroyer, of Escort Division 7, Escort Flotilla 3, JMSDF, based at JMSDF Oominato, Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture.
During accident, night landing and taking off training, with two other destroyers and two other helicopters.
http://www.sankei.com/affairs/news/170827/afr1708270005-n1.html
2017/08/27:
JMSDF recovered flight recorder.
http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASK8W0FKBK8VUTIL037.html
https://www.ehime-np.co.jp/article/ky201708261515800010
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20170827-00000001-mai-soci
https://www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/article/128236
https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2017082700046&g=soc
http://flyteam.jp/aircraft/fuji/ah-1s-fuji/news/article/82794
Article in Japanese, dated 2017/08/08.
A table that lists the types and numbers of aircraft that JGSDF, JMSDF, and JASDF had, as at 31 March, in 2017 to 2013.
For example, as at 31 March 2017, JASDF had 92 F-2A/B, same as in previous fiscal years.
OTOH, as at 31 March 2017, JASDF had four F-35A.
Personally, I’m more interested in the numbers for F-4EJ, F-4EJ Kai, and RF-4E/EJ.
Phantom Phorever!
Thursday, 17 August 2017:
AH-1S.
Toubu Houmen Koukuutai, JGSDF, based at Kisaradu AB, Chiba Prefecture.
19:40, during night shooting training, while hovering, suddenly crash-landed, at Higashi Fuji [East Fuji] manoeuvre area, Shizuoka Prefecture.
Damaged skids.
Two male crew not wounded.
Pilot: Major.
Co-pilot: First Lieutenant.
https://mainichi.jp/articles/20170818/k00/00m/040/183000c
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/20170818-OYT1T50012.html
Japan has civilian flying clubs, and non-government (not fire department, police, &c) gliders and light planes crashes are unfortunately common.
https://follow.yahoo.co.jp/themes/06de47c4daa840ed9717
For example, this is the Yahoo! Japan News tag for aviation accidents.
The most recent accident is 2017/08/14, when a civilian light plane crashed in Nara Prefecture, with two fatalities.
OTOH, retired warbirds are rare.
Some resourceful civilians may somehow acquire retired JASDF planes (F-104, &c) from scrap yards, and display them on their roofs.
Worse, WWII IJAAF/IJN warbirds displayed at museums, and not at air bases, are mostly wrecks, or 1:1 replicas.
Here in Hong Kong, I read rumours that some surplus Spitfires retired at Kai Tak, were pushed as landfill into the water, when Kai Tak extended its runway into Kowloon Bay.
Thursday, 17 August 2017:
CH-101.
8193. #93. C/N KHI08.
Shirase Hikouka [Shirase Flight Division], Yokosuka Chihoutai [Yokosuka District], JMSDF, based at Yokosuka AB, Kanagawa Prefecture.
Assigned to JMSDF Antarctic icebreaker AGB-5003 JDS Shirase.
14:20, while descending, lost balance, and from 3-4 m altitude, crash-landed on its left side, at Iwakuni AB, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Four of eight crew lightly wounded.
Witness said before accident, helicopter flew in circles, and practised hoisting down and up cargo.
From April to October, JDS Shirase helicopters regularly trained at Iwakuni AB.
2017 March, Kawaski license-built and delivered 13th and final MCH-101/CH-101 S/N 8660 to 51st Koukuutai, JMSDF.
http://www.mod.go.jp/msdf/iwakuni/about/unit/shirase_hikouka.html
Shirase Hikouka
http://www.mod.go.jp/msdf/yokosuka/
Yokosuka Chihoutai
http://flyteam.jp/news/article/83089
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/videonews/ann?a=20170817-00000028-ann-soci
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/videonews/nnn?a=20170817-00000033-nnn-soci
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/videonews/jnn?a=20170817-00000035-jnn-pol
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/videonews/nnn?a=20170817-00000038-nnn-soci
To be concise, those JASDF T-6 and JMSDF SNJ-5, just after they retired in 1968 October, were modified and painted as WWII warplanes, and returned to Japan, to film the movie.
Thus, they were very flyable.
Apparently, during and after the filming ended, they were guests at air shows and open houses at air bases in Japan.
That site author doesn’t exactly know what happened to them after the movie PR campaign ended.
However, article has a photo taken on 1970/02/07 at Atsugi AB, of five “Type 97 bombers” without wings and horizontal stabilisers.
http://dansa.minim.ne.jp/CL-T6-5-Tola-19700207Atsugi-Hayakawa.jpg
That author suspects they were scrapped at Atsugi AB.
OTOH, near bottom of article, three photos were taken in 2005 October at Edwards AFB air show, and these three planes might be survivors from the movie.
http://dansa.minim.ne.jp/CL-T6-5-Tora-EdwarsAB-Nagase%20(1).jpg
http://dansa.minim.ne.jp/CL-T6-5-Tora-EdwarsAB-Nagase%20(2).jpg
http://dansa.minim.ne.jp/CL-T6-5-Tora-EdwarsAB-Nagase%20(3).jpg
The fighters with static landing gear, were BT-13 disguising as Type 99 bombers.
http://dansa.minim.ne.jp/CL-T6-ToraToraTora..htm
Article in Japanese, with contemporary photos.
Movie “Tora! Tora! Tora!” (1970) partly filmed in Japan, and featured 15 former-JASDF T-6G-NH and former-JMSDF SNJ-5.
Ten JASDF T-6G-NH and five JMSDF SNJ-5 retired by 1968/10/23.
Five T-6G-NH and all five SNJ-5 disguised as Zero fighters.
Five T-6G-NH disguised as Type 97 torpedo-bombers.
Friday, 14 July 2017:
JGSDF AH-1S first female pilot.
Major HANSAKO Hitomi (42).
Mother of two boys, 7 and 5.
2017/07/14, graduated her AH-1S pilot training course, at JGSDF Aviation School, based at Akeno Base, Ise City, Mie Prefecture.
2,300 flight hours.
1994, entered JGSDF.
2000/10, became helicopter pilot.
6 April 2016:
J-15.
PLAN.
Took off from an AB in Bo Hai area.
Flight control system malfunctioned, couldn’t recover, and pilot ejected, two seconds before crash.
CAO Xian Jian was critically wounded, hospitalised for 419 days, including two surgeries, and returned to active duty.
http://mil.news.sina.com.cn/jssd/2017-06-21/doc-ifyhfnqa4526589.shtml
https://www.secretchina.com/news/b5/2017/06/09/825546.html
Monday, 26 June 2017:
Misawa AB, Aomori Prefecture.
Runway maintenance completed, and re-opened, for USAF [35th FW] and JASDF [3rd Koukuudan] aircraft.
Civilian flights continued to cancel from Thursday, 11 May to Tuesday, 4 July.
https://www.city.misawa.lg.jp/index.cfm/22,0,78,348,html
http://flyteam.jp/news/article/80930