US military ends 3-month suspension of V-22 Osprey fleet post fatal crash

The US military has lifted the grounding guidance for the military’s V-22 Osprey fleet. This comes roughly three months after the entire fleet was grounded following a deadly Air Force Special Operations crash off the coast of Japan. The Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy are expected to begin flying their V-22 variants in a phased approach over the next several weeks.

The military-wide grounding of V-22 aircraft in December occurred a week after eight airmen were killed when their CV-22 crashed off the coast of Yakushima Island, Japan. This decision was made due to a number of other deadly crashes over the last few years. Military officials stated in a series of briefings on Wednesday that they had confidence in returning the Ospreys to the air after an Air Force investigation identified the “materiel failure” responsible for the crash.

Ensuring the safety of our air commandos and the joint force we support is my top priority. Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, expressed confidence in the protocols being implemented to prevent a similar incident from happening again in the future. He emphasized the unpredictable nature of military operations, acknowledging the inherent risks involved.

Bauernfeind mentioned that the Accent Investigation Board is currently conducting a thorough investigation to gather all the facts and circumstances surrounding the accident. This board will eventually release a detailed report to the public.

Col. Brian Taylor, the program manager of the Naval Air Systems Command V-22 joint program office, informed reporters on Wednesday that NAVAIR is lifting the grounding guidance for the V-22. They are also making maintenance and procedural adjustments to prevent future issues. However, it is the responsibility of each service to decide how to apply this guidance to their units.

Taylor mentioned that the grounding had negative impacts on the services. Despite this, he noted that there is no pressure from the services to rush the aircraft back into operation.

Officials expressed confidence that the Osprey would be safe to fly in but did not provide many details about what caused the deadly November CV-22 crash during briefings to reporters on Wednesday. They mentioned that each service would gradually work on getting their V-22 variants back in the air, focusing on restoring pilots and crews to their previous proficiency levels.

Taylor, one of the service representatives, mentioned that the November crash was caused by an unusual component failure. He stated that it was the first time they had seen this specific component fail in this manner but did not disclose which component it was or how it failed. The investigation to determine the cause of the crash is still ongoing.

NAVAIR's operation limitations on the military's fleet of V-22s were unclear, such as speed or duration restrictions. When asked about potential limitations, Taylor declined to discuss it due to operational security concerns.

Taylor also did not provide specifics on the "maintenance and procedural changes" being implemented to address the component failure. He mentioned that the maintenance checks were not new, but existing ones that would be conducted more frequently.

Ultimately, Taylor explained that the changes were made based on data collected from hundreds of thousands of flight hours and insights gained from identifying past mistakes.

"We have a massive amount of data, about terabytes, from 750,000 flight hours," Taylor shared. "Combining this data with our learnings from the mishap has helped us understand the importance of implementing these mitigation steps to enhance our safety moving forward."

Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Richard Joyce, the Assistant Deputy Commandant for Aviation, expressed full trust in the analysis conducted by NAVAIR as the authority responsible for certifying the airworthiness of the V-22 program. This has allowed the Corps' MV-22s to resume flights with confidence.

Joyce informed reporters that Marine MV-22 units will be gradually returning to flight operations in a careful and systematic manner. The initial phase will involve the Corps' most experienced pilots and aircrew conducting maintenance check flights. Subsequently, junior pilots will fly alongside instructor pilots, followed by mission-specific training to complete the process.

Joyce estimated that it would take about 30 days for an MV-22 squadron to relearn the basics and reach full readiness levels. It may not be until late spring or summer for the Marine Corps to be back at the same readiness levels as before the Osprey grounding.

Navy Vice Adm. Daniel Cheever, commander of Naval Air Forces, mentioned on Wednesday that the Navy CMV-22s returning to flight will follow a gradual approach. This will involve thorough maintenance checks initially, followed by flight checks conducted by the Navy's most experienced pilots.

"Returning to flight is not the same as returning to mission," Cheever explained. He mentioned that it will take weeks, if not months, for CMV-22 pilots and crews to resume transporting personnel and equipment to aircraft carriers. Despite relying on the C-2A Greyhound aircraft during the grounding, the Navy has experienced minimal operational impact.

AFSOC's Bauernfeind also shared that his command is following a conditions-based, "multi-phased approach" to return to mission with the CV-22s. He anticipates that this process will take approximately 12 weeks.

“I have confidence that we know enough now to return to fly,” he said.

Editor's P/S:

The grounding of the V-22 Osprey fleet after the deadly crash in Japan raised concerns about the aircraft's safety. However, after an in-depth investigation, the Air Force has identified a specific "materiel failure" responsible for the crash, leading to the lifting of the grounding guidance. The military is now implementing maintenance and procedural adjustments to prevent similar incidents in the future, demonstrating their commitment to ensuring the safety of personnel. Despite the negative impact on operational readiness, services are prioritizing a gradual and systematic return to flight to restore pilots and crews to their previous proficiency levels. The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing, and the Accent Investigation Board will release a detailed report to the public, providing further insights into the incident. The military's confidence in returning the Osprey to the air reflects their thorough analysis and the implementation of mitigation measures based on extensive data, highlighting their dedication to maintaining airworthiness and enhancing safety.