A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon patrol and reconnaissance aircraft had to make an emergency landing at Kadena Air Base, Japan, on July 16, according to officials and Navy records.
The aircraft suffered an engine compressor stall, according to the Naval Safety Center.
No personnel were injured and the Poseidon landed safely, according to U.S. 7th Fleet spokeswoman Cmdr. Reann Mommsen.
Few other details on the mishap were available this week.
“The incident is under investigation,” Mommsen told Navy Times.
A compressor stall involves abnormal airflow in a jet engine caused from aerofoil blades failing to pass air smoothly, according SKYbrary, an online repository for aviation safety information.
Such a stall can be caused by foreign object damage — such as a bird strike — dirty or worn compressor components, in-flight icing, improper engine handling or extreme flight maneuvers, according to SKYbrary.
The incident was listed as a so-called “Class A” mishap by the safety center.
A Class A involves property damage of more than $1 million, loss of life or disability.
Geoff is the managing editor of Military Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.
