Mitsubishi Regional Jet Aborts Flight to U.S. an Hour Into Test

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. aborted the maiden test flight to the U.S. of its regional jet aircraft due to problems with an on-board system about an hour into the trip.

The aircraft, Japan’s first passenger plane developed at home in more than a half century, took off from an airport in Nagoya, Japan, en route to Moses Lake in Washington around 11:47 am Saturday but was forced to turn back after discovering the need to check data related to monitoring of its air conditioning, said Mitsubishi Aircraft spokeswoman Miho Takahashi. The jet landed safely back at Nagoya around 12:50.

The Mitsubishi Regional Jet, which can seat as many as 92 people, is the first of four that the firm will fly to U.S. for testing as the company works toward getting certification in the world’s largest economy. The aircraft made its first flight in November last year and has been undergoing tests since.

The last passenger aircraft produced in Japan was the YS-11, a turboprop made by Nihon Aircraft Manufacturing Corp., a consortium that included Mitsubishi Heavy, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. and Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. Production was stopped in 1974 after 182 of the planes were sold.

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp., a unit of Mitsubishi Heavy, is currently testing the system and no further details are known now, according to Takahashi. No schedule has been decided for the next flight to the U.S., she said.