Solar Impulse 2 damaged after landing in Japan

A solar-powered plane forced to land in Japan when it hit bad weather during its trip around the globe has encountered more challenges after wind gusts damaged a wing on the grounded aircraft.

Damage to wing will take at least a week to repair

The Associated Press · Posted: Jun 03, 2015 4:18 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 3, 2015

A crew member stands underneath the solar-powered plane Solar Impulse 2 as it is parked in an inflatable hangar after an unscheduled landing at Nagoya airport in Japan. Wind gusts have damaged the plane's wing. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)

A solar-powered plane forced to land in Japan when it hit bad weather during its trip around the globe has encountered more challenges after wind gusts damaged a wing on the grounded aircraft.

Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg says on the expedition's website that the damage to the Solar Impulse 2 on Tuesday will "necessitate at least a week to repair." It has delayed the journey further, but he says the damage is not a major issue.

BREAKING NEWS: <a href="https://twitter.com/bertrandpiccard">@bertrandpiccard</a> explains damages on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Si2?src=hash">#Si2</a>'s wing due to the wind in Nagoya. <a href="https://t.co/YlKrGoFmyt">https://t.co/YlKrGoFmyt</a> <a href="http://t.co/bl1bL174Qd">pic.twitter.com/bl1bL174Qd</a>
—@solarimpulse

The Solar Impulse departed Nanjing, China, on Sunday on what was expected to be the longest leg of the journey, a six-day, 8,175-kilometer (5,079-mile) flight to Hawaii.

Instead, the plane landed late Monday at the Nagoya Airport in central Japan to wait out unexpectedly bad weather.

Borschberg is flying without any fuel.