Japan Ordered to Pay in Crash of U.S. Jet

TOKYO —  The Yokohama District Court on Wednesday ordered the government to pay about $297,000 in compensation to a family of four injured in the crash of a U.S. military jet 10 years ago.

But the court rejected claims against the U.S. crewmen who bailed out, saying that under a joint defense treaty Japan must cover damages caused by U.S. servicemen while on duty.

The case grew out of the crash of a Phantom RF-4B flying from a U.S. Marine base to the aircraft carrier Midway. The plane plunged into a residential area in Yokohama on Sept. 27, 1977, seriously injuring nine people. Three later died.