Japanese F-4 Fighter Aircraft Catches Fire Due To Landing Gear Malfunction, Crew Safe

A Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) F-4 fighter jet caught fire while heading for a runway at the base in eastern Japan on Wednesday, but none of the crew was hurt, the ASDF said in a statement.

The fire which was caused after the aircraft’s landing gear malfunctioned for unknown reasons at Hyakuri Air Base in Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, today, was extinguished about 20 minutes later, the ASDF said.

They added that the two pilots aboard escaped the burning plane without injury.

The F4 jet was scheduled to undertake a series of training drills after taking off from the base in the northeastern part of Kanto, on Japan's main island of Honshu, ASDF officials said.