By Key Facts
- Aircraft Type: Boeing F-15J (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries licence-built)
- Operator: Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF)
- Location: Naha Airport, Okinawa, Japan
- Date: 18 August 2026
A JASDF F-15J landing gear failure disrupted operations at Okinawa’s dual-use Naha Airport on 18 August, after the left-side main gear collapsed on touchdown, sending the fighter scraping and rotating across the runway surface before coming to rest on its nose gear and an underwing external fuel tank.
How the JASDF F-15J Landing Gear Failure Unfolded
NHK News footage captured the sequence clearly: the left gear gave way almost immediately after the aircraft flared for what appeared to be a normal landing. The F-15J then rotated roughly 180 degrees along the runway, a maneuver that generated a small friction fire in the landing gear area, though no catastrophic blaze followed.
Photos of the stricken aircraft show the ejection seat still seated in the cockpit, indicating the pilot chose — and was able — to vacate the jet without ejecting. NHK confirmed the pilot walked away safely. Ground crews subsequently lifted the fighter onto a flatbed truck by crane, removing it from the runway largely intact.
Unverified imagery circulating after the incident suggests the aircraft carries registration number 22-8809, an F-15J assigned to Naha Air Base, which hosts two JASDF fighter squadrons flying the type.
Airport Impact and Commercial Traffic Disruption
Naha Airport serves both military and civilian traffic, making the runway closure particularly disruptive. The incident temporarily shut one of the two runways handling commercial flights, affecting passenger services for several hours before the runway was returned to service.
Because Okinawa’s main airport is a shared facility, any military incident on the airfield directly affects Japan Airlines, ANA, and the low-cost carriers that operate frequent connections between Naha and mainland Japan.
About the F-15J and Japan’s Fleet
The F-15J is Japan’s licence-built variant of the McDonnell Douglas F-15C, manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Tokyo currently operates 155 airframes, making it one of the largest F-15 fleets outside the United States Air Force.
The Japan Air Self-Defense Force is in the process of modernising the fleet through the Japan Super Interceptor programme, which introduces an active electronically scanned array fire-control radar and updated electronic warfare countermeasures. As a result, surviving F-15Js are expected to remain in frontline service well into the coming decades despite the type’s age.
Landing gear collapses on fighter aircraft — while relatively rare — are not unprecedented. High sink-rate landings, fatigue in older gear components, or hydraulic failures can all contribute. The JASDF has not yet issued a formal cause statement, and an investigation is expected to follow standard military safety procedures.
