The U.S. and Japanese militaries have grounded their Osprey tiltrotor fleets in the wake of latest fatal crash.
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The fatal November 29 crash of a USAF CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor has triggered a worldwide grounding of the model, which has been joined by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. More than 400 are currently in service with U.S. forces and Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force, which operates 14. The latest crash occurred offshore near Yakushima, Japan. The remains of six of the eight aboard the crashed CV-22 had been recovered from the wreckage on the seabed.
In a statement issued by the U.S. Air Force’s Special Operations Command (AFSOC), Lt. Gen. Bauernfeind ordered an “operational standdown” of the USAF’s CV-22 fleet, a move quickly matched by all other V-22 operators. AFSOC said Bauernfeind ordered the move to “mitigate risks.”
“Preliminary investigation information indicates a potential materiel failure caused the mishap, but the underlying cause of the failure is unknown at this time. The standdown will provide time and space for a thorough investigation to determine causal factors and recommendations to ensure the Air Force CV-22 fleet returns to flight operations,” according to AFSOC.
Japan Defense Ministry Press Secretary Akira Mogi said his country’s officials are evaluating information related to the latest accident that has been shared by the U.S. but needs to be independently verified.
The latest fatal Osprey crash is one of four over the last two years. On March 18, 2022, an MV-22B crashed in Beiarn, Norway, killing all four Marines onboard. On June 8, 2022, an MV-22B crashed near Glamis, California, killing all five Marines onboard, and on August 27, 2023, an MV-22B crashed on Melville Island, Australia, killing three of 23 Marines onboard.
The fatal November 29 crash of a USAF CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor has triggered a worldwide grounding of the model, which has been joined by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. More than 400 are currently in service with U.S. forces and Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force, which operates 14. The latest crash occurred offshore near Yakushima, Japan. As of yesterday, the remains of six of the eight aboard the crashed CV-22 had been recovered from the wreckage on the seabed.
In a statement issued yesterday by the U.S. Air Force’s Special Operations Command (AFSOC), Lt. Gen. Bauernfeind ordered an “operational standdown” of the USAF’s CV-22 fleet, a move quickly matched by all other V-22 operators. AFSOC said Bauernfeind ordered the move to “mitigate risks.”
“Preliminary investigation information indicates a potential materiel failure caused the mishap, but the underlying cause of the failure is unknown at this time. The standdown will provide time and space for a thorough investigation to determine causal factors and recommendations to ensure the Air Force CV-22 fleet returns to flight operations,” according to AFSOC. Japan Defense Ministry Press Secretary Akira Mogi said his country’s officials are evaluating information related to the latest accident that has been shared by the U.S. but needs to be independently verified.
The latest fatal Osprey crash is one of four over the last two years.