Air Force Says Failure Cause in Deadly V-22 Crash Still Unknown

A probe into the reason for the mishap that killed eight off the coast of Japan in November remains ongoing, the service said.

Kimberly Johnson

Tuesday, February 20, 2024 at 12:07 PM ET

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A CV-22 Osprey assigned to Air Force Special Operations Command prepares to land during an aerial demonstration at Wittman Regional Airport, Wisconsin in July, 2021. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

Air Force accident investigators are still searching for the root cause of the deadly CV-22 Osprey crash off Japan in November, which killed eight service members, despite knowing a material failure occurred.
Following the incident, the Air Force Special Operations Command instituted an operational stand-down for its CV-22 fleet, prompting the Navy and Marine Corps to also ground all V-22 variants.
Ongoing engineering analysis and testing are crucial to determine the cause of the material failure, with findings intended to inform a deliberate return to flight and prevent future mishaps.
In addition to the accident probe, the Air Force is conducting an internal review of its CV-22 elements to ensure they are appropriately organized, trained, and equipped for safe operations.

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Air Force accident investigators continue to search for the root cause behind the deadly CV-22 Osprey crash off the coast of Japan in November that killed eight service members on board the tiltrotor aircraft.

The CV-22 assigned to the Air Force’s 353rd Special Operations Wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan, went down offshore of Yakushima Island on November 29 with eight crewmembers on board during a routine training mission. There were no survivors.