Fighter Malfunction Affects Civilian Flights in Okinawa

A Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15 fighter aircraft lost a tire while taking off at Naha Airport today, causing the runway to be blocked for more than two hours. At least 60 civilian flights and 3,800 passengers were affected by the incident. One of four F-15s had to abort take-off at around 1:20pm when a tire peeled off the front wheel, leaving the fighter stranded on the airport’s single runway. The aircraft was removed after repairs shortly after 3:00pm. In