Safety Issues Force Pentagon to Temporarily Ground V-22 Ospreys

The Pentagon has once again halted flights of its V-22 Osprey fleet after a recent near-miss incident suggested that weakened metal components might have been a contributing factor. This decision marks yet another challenge for the aircraft, which has been plagued by escalating safety issues.

The suspension was advised last week “out of an abundance of caution” by Vice Admiral Carl Chebi, head of Naval Air Systems Command, responsible for overseeing the Osprey programme, as stated by command spokeswoman Marcia Hart.

The Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force are all complying with the recommended suspension, according to the Associated Press. The Marine Corps indicated that their suspension began on Friday and would continue through Monday. The other services are expected to extend their suspensions as they investigate the metal failures further.

The recent near-crash occurred at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico on 20 November, bearing similarities to a crash off the coast of Japan last November that resulted in the deaths of eight Air Force Special Operations Command members.

In the Japan crash, weaknesses in the metal used for critical gears in the Osprey’s transmission led to in-flight failure and a catastrophic breakdown of the aircraft. The crew did not recognise the severity of the failure and did not land immediately.

Lessons from the fatal Japan crash may have been crucial in the recent incident. Although the investigation is ongoing, the crew at Cannon received similar warnings shortly after takeoff, lost an engine, but managed to land the Osprey safely.

An initial review of the failure at Cannon suggests that similar metal weaknesses may have been involved, although in a different part than the one that failed in the Japan crash.

Based on recommendations from NAVAIR, Lt. Gen Michael Conley, commander of AFSOC, ordered a suspension of all Osprey training flights to allow for a thorough investigation, according to a statement from command spokeswoman Lt. Col. Becky Heyse.

The metal in question is known as X-53 VIMVAR. Investigators found that the metal gear that failed in the Japan crash had multiple inclusions, or microscopic weak spots, caused by foreign substances during manufacturing. These weak spots can lead to fatigue cracking.

Since the Japan crash, there have been seven previous incidents of gear cracking likely caused by the same metal weakness. The military and Bell Flight, the manufacturer of the Osprey’s transmission system, have been working to strengthen this metal.

Since the Osprey began flying three decades ago, 64 personnel have died, and 93 have been injured in crashes. Japan’s military briefly grounded its Osprey fleet again in October after an aircraft tipped violently during takeoff and struck the ground.

Frances Ibiefo

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