OKINAWA, Japan — A Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) F-15 fighter jet became immobilized on the runway at Naha Airport on Tuesday after its left main landing gear failed during landing. The pilot exited the aircraft safely and no injuries were reported.
The single-seat F-15, based at nearby Naha Air Base, was returning from a scramble intercept mission when it landed on Runway B shortly before 1 p.m. local time. The landing gear failure caused the aircraft to tilt to the left, with its left wing contacting the runway. The jet skidded along the pavement, rotated about 180 degrees and stopped facing the opposite direction.
NHK footage showed the fighter dragging its left wing along the runway while producing white smoke. Smoke and brief flames were also seen near the rear of the aircraft as it slowed. JASDF fire engines and emergency vehicles responded to the scene.
Runway B was closed from around 12:55–12:57 p.m. until about 5:06 p.m. while the aircraft was inspected and removed. A crane later lifted the F-15 onto a truck. Runway A remained open for civilian operations, but about 40 flights experienced delays of up to 35 minutes, with some reports also noting further delays or cancellations.
Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki called the incident “gravely disappointing” and requested a prompt investigation and measures to prevent a recurrence. The JASDF is investigating the cause of the landing gear failure.
Naha Airport is shared by civilian and military aircraft and hosts the JASDF’s 9th Air Wing. Its F-15Js conduct air-defense and scramble missions over Okinawa and surrounding islands. The JASDF operates roughly 200 F-15s nationwide. The aircraft is about 19 meters long with a wingspan of around 13 meters.
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