The U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps grounded their fleets of V-22 Ospreys after eight crew members were killed when one of the aircraft crashed in Japan.
The Air Force’s move was announced in a news release Wednesday from Air Force Special Operations Command.
Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, AFSOC commander, said he gave the order for Ospreys to be grounded while the force investigates whether any problems with the tilt-rotor aircraft could have led to the Nov. 29 crash near Yakushima Island.
“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,” the release said.
It did not say how long the fleet would be grounded.
Naval Air Systems Command announced Thursday it was following AFSOC’s lead; NAVAIR is in charge of Navy and Marine Ospreys, according to The Associated Press.
“Out of an abundance of caution, following the AFSOC operational stand down, NAVAIR is instituting a grounding bulletin for all V-22 Osprey variants Dec. 6. This decision comes after the V-22 Osprey mishap on Nov. 29, off the shore of Yakushima, Japan,” the release said.
It said early indications were that the crash of the “GUNDAM 22” in Japan was not caused by pilot error.
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“Preliminary investigation information indicates a potential materiel failure caused the mishap, but the underlying cause of the failure is unknown at this time,” the release said. “While the mishap remains under investigation, we are implementing additional risk mitigation controls to ensure the safety of our service members.”
The shutdowns will ground hundreds of Ospreys: 400 belonging to the Marines, 51 to the Air Force and 27 to the Navy, according to the AP.
Below are some clips of successful Osprey landings.
Great footage of a 🇺🇸 Osprey landing on the deck of 🇬🇧 @HMSQNLZ. This past week we’ve been working with our allies in the Philippine Sea in a clear show of unity and commitment to a free & open Indo-Pacific. pic.twitter.com/xavOBIt2pn
— Ambassador Jane Hartley (@USAmbUK) October 6, 2021
10 hour day at work! Cool that some Ospreys came flyin in as well! I am thankful for all of my followers!! pic.twitter.com/ZPQfZREhGP
— Lisa Morelli (@lisamorelli56) March 25, 2023
Ospreys have been grounded several times because of technical issues.
In August 2022, the Air Force grounded its fleet of the aircraft after several incidents of “hard clutch engagement during flight,” according to KVII-TV in Amarillo, Texas, where the V-22 is made.
The Marines have dealt with the same issue since 2010.
In February, three military branches grounded several V-22 fleets because of issues with the hard clutch, the U.S. Naval Institute reported.
