Engine Parts of Crashed SDF Jet Found

   Tokyo, May 16 (Jiji Press)--Engine parts of a Self-Defense Force trainer jet that crashed into a pond in Aichi Prefecture on Wednesday are believed to have been found, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said Friday.
   During its search and rescue work in the large agricultural reservoir called Lake Iruka in the city of Inuyama on Thursday, the Air SDF found what appeared to be parts of the T-4 aircraft's engines and wheel tires, as well as its pilot seats and oxygen cylinders, Nakatani told a press conference.
   Around-the-clock search for the two crew members of the two-seater trainer continued. The ASDF has also been trying to discover major components of the aircraft, such as the main wing, to identify the cause of the crash.
   At a separate news conference, ASDF Chief of Staff Hiroaki Uchikura said that operations of all T-4 planes totaling some 200 units being deployed across Japan, including those used by the Blue Impulse aerobatic team, have been suspended for emergency inspections.
   Uchikura said T-4 flights will be resumed after implementing safety education and training. But he declined to specify how long the suspension will last.

(2025/05/16-14:00)