V-22 Osprey cleared for flight but cause of fatal crash not disclosed
V-22s provide a delivery service for carriers and will begin to do so again soon. (Photo: US Navy)
V-22s have been cleared for flight three months after a fatal crash which led to a grounding but processes involved in the clearance mean it will be weeks or even months before full operations return.
Bell-Boeing’s V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, flown by the US Navy (USN), US Air Force (USAF) and US Marine Corps (USMC), as well as Japanese forces, has been cleared for flight by Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). The move will return the aircraft to the skies following a grounding announced after a fatal crash last November.
In a statement, NAVAIR said: “Maintenance and procedural changes have been implemented to address the materiel failure that allow for a safe return to flight. The USN, USMC and USAF will each execute their return to flight plans according to service specific guidelines.
“The grounding provided time for a thorough review of the mishap and formulation of risk mitigation controls to assist with safely returning the V-22 to flight operations.”
Col Brian Taylor, the programme manager of NAVAIR Systems Command V-22 joint programme office, told reporters after the announcement the accident was “unprecedented” component failure and “the first time that we’ve seen this particular component fail in this way”.
No details were provided on the particular component which failed.
Col Taylor said: “We’ve got terabytes, literally, of data from 750,000 flight hours [and] with that, and what we’ve learned from the mishap, all of that together really is what has built the picture of how these mitigation steps are going to provide some more security for us moving forward.”
Last month, USN Vice Adm Daniel Cheever, commander of Naval Air Forces, told Shephard that the eventual return to flight would be “crawl, walk, run”, a stance he reiterated after the announcement.
“Return to flight is not the same as return to mission,” Vice Adm Cheever said after the announcement. He noted it could be weeks or even months before the aircraft would be fulfilling carrier delivery missions but that using the C-2A Greyhound had meant limited operational impact on the service.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![Lockheed Martin “bullish” on future of its F-16 programme]()
Lockheed Martin “bullish” on future of its F-16 programme
The company foresees demand for around 300 Block 70/72 F-16s from customers across the globe and is targeting around a 23 to 26 aircraft delivery total for 2025.
-
![Boeing secures $569 million contract to support Royal Australian Air Force’s E-7 Wedgetail]()
Boeing secures $569 million contract to support Royal Australian Air Force’s E-7 Wedgetail
The fleet of six E-7A Wedgetail aircraft is based at RAAF Base Williamtown and will reportedly support up to 170 jobs in the region.
-
![Anduril to supply loitering munitions to Ukraine with UK funding]()
Anduril to supply loitering munitions to Ukraine with UK funding
Since July 2024, the UK Government has provided more than £5.26 billion in support to Ukraine, including £3 billion in annual military aid and a £2.26 billion loan for defence spending. The latest deal will see Anduril supply Altius-600M and Altius-700M loitering munitions.
-
![Leonardo and Baykar join forces to develop uncrewed aerial systems]()
Leonardo and Baykar join forces to develop uncrewed aerial systems
Baykar’s AKINCI drone will be the first focus platform for the joint venture, with the first prototype targeted for development in 12 to 18 months.
-
![Europe will “struggle” to fill capability gaps left by US-Ukraine aid pause]()
Europe will “struggle” to fill capability gaps left by US-Ukraine aid pause
Europe’s capacity to fill the capability gaps created by the US pause on military aid to Ukraine is uncertain, according to analysts, but European defence industry leaders have stressed their readiness to meet demand.
-
![Will tomorrow’s US Air Force fleet be pilotless?]()
Will tomorrow’s US Air Force fleet be pilotless?
The US Air Force has been showing an increasing interest in adding trusted uncrewed capabilities to its aircraft inventory.
