The fatal crash of a Marine V-22 Osprey in California closing 12 months was once brought about by means of mechanical failure, in line with an investigation that dominated out pilot and upkeep mistakes.
The greater than 400-page record launched on Friday concluded that the Marines had been doing regimen flight operations when a “catastrophic, unpreventable and unanticipated mechanical failure took place.” The Osprey crashed in a faraway space close to Glamis, about 115 miles east of San Diego.
5 Marines died within the crash: Two pilots, Capt. Nicholas P. Losapio, 31, of Rockingham, New Hampshire, and Capt. John J. Sax, 33, of Placer, California; and 3 group chiefs, Cpl. Nathan E. Carlson, 21, of Winnebago, Illinois; Cpl. Seth D. Rasmuson, 21, of Johnson, Wyoming, and Lance Cpl. Evan A. Strickland, 19, of Valencia, New Mexico.
“The tragedy of this match is not possible to seize in phrases,” mentioned Maj. Gen. Bradford Gering, who was once commander of the third Marine Airplane Wing, in a memo connected to the record. “It’s transparent from the investigation that there was once not anything the group of SWIFT 11 may have performed to await or save you this aviation mishap.”
The record additionally dominated out any problems with climate, birds or different exterior components. And it concluded that there must be no disciplinary movements or administrative movements towards any Marines.
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In step with the investigation, the particular reason for the crash was once a “twin arduous snatch engagement” that ended in engine failure. The record mentioned the V-22 program place of work has labored to mend the snatch issues.
Col. Brian Taylor, a program supervisor, mentioned whilst the basis reason for the snatch failure hasn’t been known, quite a few adjustments and kit replacements have decreased the danger of it routine by means of 99%, however have now not eradicated it.
The record notes there have been no direct witnesses to the coincidence in June 2022, and because of the fiery crash, the information recorder was once now not recovered.
As of April 2022, the Marine Corps and Military had logged a complete of 422,165 flight hours at the Osprey since 2012. The record mentioned there were 5 deadly crashes of Marine Ospreys since 2012, inflicting a complete of 16 deaths.
The investigation additionally discovered that since 2010 there were 16 equivalent snatch issues of the Marine Ospreys in flight. In February 2023 the Marine Corps started changing a work of kit at the airplane, and there were no equivalent issues since then.
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The Osprey is a hybrid airplane that takes to the air and lands like a helicopter, however all over flight it might probably rotate its propellers to a horizontal place and cruise like an plane. Variations of the airplane are flown by means of the Marine Corps, Military and Air Pressure.