# U.S. fighter jet pilot rescued after crash off Japan coast



## Shinpachi (Jul 22, 2012)

I want more spot light on this tiny news as I always don't want Japanese to be thought they contribute nothing for their friends. 
Thanks!

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TOKYO - A U.S. fighter jet crashed into the ocean off the coast of Japan on Sunday morning, but the pilot ejected safely and was plucked from the Pacific Ocean by rescuers hours later.

The F-16 from Misawa Air Base hit the water about 11:30 a.m. Pacific time, roughly 200 miles northeast of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island, according a news release from Misawa.

The pilot, whose name was withheld pending family notification, was rescued about six hours later and was in stable condition Sunday night aboard a U.S. commercial vessel at sea, according to the release.

Several agencies, including the Japanese Coast Guard, Japan Self-Defense Force, U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy, as well as civilian vessels in the area, responded, Air Force officials said.

Lt. Gen. Sam Angelella, who took command of U.S. Forces Japan on Friday, released a statement Sunday night expressing gratitude for assistance in the rescue of the airman.

“We are especially pleased with the incredible support and cooperation" from the Japanese agencies, he said. "We cannot thank enough the crews of the F/V Hokko Maru who recovered our pilot from the North Pacific waters and the MV Manukai for accepting the pilot from the Japanese vessel to work his transition back home to Misawa."

The F-16 was en route from Misawa to North America when it crashed, according to the Misawa release.

The cause of the incident is under investigation.


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## vikingBerserker (Jul 22, 2012)

I had just heard this but did not know they had found the pilot.

A big  to the rescuers!


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## evangilder (Jul 22, 2012)

Well done on the rescue. A big thanks to the rescuers.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jul 22, 2012)

Well done, and thanks for posting.

FYI: I am moving this thread to a more appropriate thread though. Not really about music...


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## Shinpachi (Jul 22, 2012)

Few media tells but the rescue operation was risky as the location was close to Russian border.
Thanks for your good courtesy, Adler


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jnik_TPG23E_


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## Shinpachi (Jul 23, 2012)

A report says one more crashed on Monday.
Hokko Maru was busy.


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## Shinpachi (Jul 23, 2012)

Sorry. The last report seems misinformation.

It was -

An American F-16 fighter jet went down in a Russian exclusive economic zone near the Kuril Islands on Monday. It is the second incident with an F-16 over the last 24 hours, as another jet crashed in Japan’s north on Sunday.
“The Kamchatsky territorial naval rescue center reported at 8:30 am local time (8:30 pm GMT) that an aircraft was in distress over the Pacific Ocean near the northern Kurils,” Andrey Orlov, a spokesman for the Russian Border Guard Service in the Far East said. Later on it turned out to be an American F-16.
The pilot successfully ejected before the jet plummeted into the waters below. The Russian Antias border patrol vessel and an An-72 patrol aircraft were dispatched to the crash zone, though the pilot was ultimately picked up by the Japanese the Hokko Maru fishery research vessel about five hours after the crash. 

Orlov says the fighter jet sank almost immediately after the crash. The Antias patrol vessel that arrived at the scene has not found even a petrol spot on the surface of the ocean, so the crash site poses no threat to ecology, the Russian border guard reported.
The crew of the Hokko Maru is expected to hand over the rescued pilot to an American patrol vessel in the Pacific.
The 35th Fighter Wing’s F-16 fighter jet was reportedly hopping from Misawa Air Base in Japan to Alaska.
The crash near the Kurils has become the second straight incident with American F-16 operating from Japan in a 24 hour period. On Sunday a US Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed in the waters off Hokkaido Island, close to the town of Nemuro. The pilot was also rescued.
Another incident with an F-16 fighter jet occurred on May 4 when the fighter went down during a training flight in Utah's western desert.

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It has been corrected like follows -

An American F-16 fighter jet went down in a Russian exclusive economic zone near the Kuril Islands on Sunday. The pilot successfully ejected before the jet plummeted into the waters below. 
“The Kamchatsky territorial naval rescue center reported at 8:30 am local time (8:30 pm GMT) that an aircraft was in distress over the Pacific Ocean near the northern Kurils,” Andrey Orlov, a spokesman for the Russian Border Guard Service in the Far East said. Later on it turned out to be an American F-16.
The Russian Antias border patrol vessel and an An-72 patrol aircraft were dispatched to the crash zone, though the pilot was ultimately picked up by the Japanese the Hokko Maru fishery research vessel about five hours after the crash. 

Orlov says the fighter jet sank almost immediately after the crash. The Antias patrol vessel that arrived at the scene has not found even a petrol spot on the surface of the ocean, so the crash site poses no threat to ecology, the Russian border guard reported.
The crew of the Hokko Maru is expected to hand over the rescued pilot to an American patrol vessel in the Pacific.
The 35th Fighter Wing’s F-16 fighter jet was reportedly hopping from Misawa Air Base in Japan to Alaska.
Another incident with an F-16 fighter jet occurred on May 4 when the fighter went down during a training flight in Utah's western desert.

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Sorry again for confusion.


Attached photo: Moment of rescue


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## Shinpachi (Jul 26, 2012)

Just obtained more accurate information with the larger map and photo(1290x851) from Hokkaido National Fisheries Research Institute. Crash is said caused by engine trouble and this is what I wanted to know.

This news was handled very modest in Japan too but I sent my best gratitude to the Institute.
They are true men.


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## razor1uk (Jul 26, 2012)

Congrats (both fortunate and unfortunate) to the rescuers and pilot  
could it be related to maintenance/parts issues, aging engines; I'd imagine that being across the Pacific, there are sometimes less updates/upgrades/retrofits shipped across due to budgetry exigencies or severe metrological changes/randomness induced perhaps - Tyhpoon season is nearing I beleive, traditionally around after 210th day of the year.


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## michaelmaltby (Jul 26, 2012)

Seems like lots of F-16s are going down....

MM


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## Shinpachi (Jul 26, 2012)

I hesitated to write as the cause is under investigation but the pilot said "The engine suddenly stopped".
The vessel crew confirmed that it was so misty on the day they missed the pilot a few times. The pilot shot a signal flare upward to tell where he was. He seemed receiving instructions from Misawa or Yokota through his own radio.

The US container ship "MANUKAI" awaited behind the Hokko Maru, so the pilot was soon transferred to MANUKAI. 
He had no chance to aboard the Hokko Maru.


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## michaelmaltby (Jul 27, 2012)

It's good when you have _determined_ Allies you can count on .. 

MM


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jul 27, 2012)

Good news Shinpachi. Thank you for post sir. And a  to your countrymen for their quick actions. Very commendable.


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## Shinpachi (Jul 29, 2012)

Thanks, sirs, for reading!
The pilot cut his life raft with his knife to roll and bring with him.
He could walk up the side stairs of 10 meters high of MANUKAI by himself.


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## oldcrowcv63 (Jul 29, 2012)

Thanks for posting Shinpachi! Glad this turned out so well and much appreciate the help of the Japanese people and agencies involved.


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## Shinpachi (Jul 30, 2012)

Hello, oldcrowcv63!

Are you in Japan now?
I did not tell you but if you are ready to spend a few days around the Mt. Fuji, I recommend you to visit the Kawaguchiko Zero Fighter Museum as it opens once a year in August. You can check more details about the museum here.

A G4M Betty is also under restoration there.


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## otftch (Aug 15, 2012)

Thanks for your post. It sems the media have thier own agenda as to what news is important.
Ed


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## Shinpachi (Aug 16, 2012)

You are welcome, Ed.
The main news on the day was Osprey deployment in Iwakuni, Japan.


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## Ferdinand Foch (Aug 22, 2012)

Thanks for the postings, Shinpachi! Hats off to those involved in the rescue. Thank you!


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## Shinpachi (Aug 24, 2012)

Thanks Ferdinand Foch for your kind comment.

Sorry guys but I forgot to tell that I received a message from Captain Ishii of Hokko-Maru through his organization on July 27.
I didn't check my another mail address Outlook Express so soon.
He writes -

*Thank you for your message.
We are continuing to investigate the Bering Sea that requires us the long-sleeved underwears.
Thinking the drifting pilot's anxiety, we could play a big roll well.
We all crew were in the full feelings of 'Good!' and relief.

Captain of Hokko-Maru 
Ishii*


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