U.S. Grounds All V-22 Ospreys Amid Crash Investigation
YouTube / Associated Press
Until Further Notice
The US military’s V-22 Osprey helicopters have now been grounded a week after a V-22 crashed off the coast of Japan, killing all of its eight US crewmen.
The latest crash sparked another debate regarding the safety of the aircraft, since it has been involved in many fatal accidents after it entered service.
According to a preliminary investigation of the recent incident on November 29, the crash may have been due to material failure – not crew member error.
While the investigation continues, the head of Air Force Special Operations Command has already ordered an “operational stand-down” of the USAF’s CV-22 fleet. Meanwhile, the Naval Air Systems Command have also ordered the grounding of all Marine and Navy V-22 Ospreys for caution.
This order would affect 51 Ospreys from the USAF, 27 from the US Navy, and as many as 400 from the USMC.
It is still unclear as to how long the order would stand.
