A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey is submerged off Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, on Wednesday after ditching Tuesday evening. | COURTESY OF OSAMU MAKI / VIA KYODO
Senior U.S. official praises Osprey pilot’s decision to ditch
JIJI, Kyodo Dec 15, 2016
WASHINGTON – A senior U.S. government official said the pilot of the MV-22 Osprey that crashed Tuesday deserves credit for ditching the tilt-rotor aircraft off Okinawa to avoid hitting the city of Nago.
Daniel Russel, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, acknowledged Wednesday that the accident was “regrettable.” But he also said: “This did not put Japanese lives in danger. It put American lives in danger, you could argue.”
According to the U.S., the Osprey pilot chose to make an emergency landing in shallow water off Nago to avoid the danger of crash-landing in the city. All crew members were rescued.
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