U.S. Navy orders grounding of all Osprey aircraft after 8 died in crash off Japan

The US military has ordered the grounding of its entire V-22 Osprey fleet a week after eight pilots died aboard a CV-22 that crashed off the coast of Japan.

Air Force Special Operations Command said Wednesday night that group commander Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind has ordered an “operational grounding” of the Air Force’s CV-22 fleet.

The grounding was introduced to “mitigate the risk while the investigation continues.”

In an “abundance of caution,” Naval Air Systems Command said it would also ground the Navy and Marine Corps V-22s.

The Navy said in a statement that a preliminary investigation into the crash “indicates a potential equipment malfunction as a cause of the accident, but the underlying cause of the accident is unknown at this time.”

The plane was on a “routine training mission” when it crashed. Although the fatal incident is still under investigation, the plane has a history of mechanical problems and has been involved in a number of fatal crashes over the past few decades.

Last week, a V-22 Osprey with eight pilots on board crashed off a Japanese island, killing everyone on board. The crash is being investigated by the Pentagon.

In August, three US Marines died on an MV-22 Osprey during a training exercise in Australia, according to CNN.

The bodies of six of the eight airmen aboard the doomed Osprey jet have been recovered after it crashed last week. The identities of three of them have been established.

Staff Sgt. Jake Galliher, 24, was identified as the first pilot to crash. Earlier this week, Maj. Luke Unrath, 34, and Tech Sgt. Zachary Lavoy, 33, was identified as two other men aboard the Osprey.

In an earlier statement, Bauernfeind said the “honorable service of these eight Airmen to this great nation will never be forgotten.”

“In times like these, when serving our country is not only a personal commitment but also a legacy woven into the fabric of our families, the depth of grief is immeasurable.”

AFSOC said Wednesday that following personnel recovery operations, the team will “focus its efforts on salvaging the remaining aircraft wreckage.”

Following the tragic disaster, Japan’s Okinawa prefectural government demanded that all ospreys on or near the island be stopped, although the Pentagon denied receiving an official request.

“The Ospreys are currently still operational in Japan,” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said last week. “I am not following up on the official request received here at the department.”

A Japanese Coast Guard helicopter and patrol vessel conduct a search and rescue operation in the waters where a US military Osprey plane crashed off the coast of Yakushima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture, southern Japan, Thursday, November 30, 2023.

The aircraft has a history of mechanical and operational problems and was involved in several fatal crashes in the past week.

Versions of the V-22 Osprey are used by all military forces, including the Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, which uses the Japanese model of the aircraft.

According to the description of the Boeing V-22, it can take off, land and hover like a helicopter. Once airborne, it can transform into a turboprop aircraft capable of flying at high speeds and high altitudes.”

“This combination results in a global reach of capabilities that allows the V-22 to fill an operational niche unlike any other aircraft.”