MSDF botches landing at airfield in Yamaguchi

A Maritime Self-Defense Force transport airplane on Monday overshot a runway, crashed into a fence and came to a stop in a rice paddy at the MSDF Ozuki base in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Defense Ministry officials said.

Oops: A Maritime Self-Defense Force YS-11 sits in a rice paddy in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, after overshooting a runway Monday. KYODO PHOTO

There were no injuries or fires during the 12:40 p.m. accident, the officials said.

Eleven MSDF personnel were aboard the YS-11 transport plane, which left the MSDF Atsugi base in Kanagawa Prefecture and stopped over in Tokushima before taking off for Ozuki, the officials said.

Light rain was falling at the time of the accident but was not likely to have interfered with the safe operation of the airplane, the ministry said. It set up an investigation committee to investigate the incident.