SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The Osprey aircraft could soon be spotted flying above San Diego again.
The US military has ungrounded the helicopter-airplane hybrid, which had been ordered to stand down last December following a fatal mishap a month prior in Japan that killed eight service members.
“The safety of our pilots, aircrew and surrounding communities remains of paramount importance,” said a spokesperson at Commander, Naval Air Forces Friday.
The V-22 Osprey is made by Bell Boeing and credited with changing how wars are fought. It can take off like a helicopter and fly fast like a plane with its jet engines.
Since 1992, 61 Americans have been killed in Osprey mishaps and the aircraft has been plagued with issues since its creation.
'Not being transparent': Attorney
Attorney Timothy Loranger said he’s concerned about the aircraft going back in the air.
“The concern that I have is that they are not being transparent with what they have found in their investigation,” he said in an interview from Los Angeles.
Loranger is a Marine Corps veteran and pilot. He represents four families of Marines who were killed in an Osprey mishap near El Centro in 2022.
“I remember when the aircraft was being developed in the 80s when I was in the Marine Corps, and we were all very concerned that the aircraft may not be a safe platform.”
The Navy said Friday its fleet wing will oversee enhanced maintenance checks and tailored training events to renew aircrew currency and unit readiness.
“In the coming months, aircraft and schedule permitting, the most experienced pilots will bring co-pilots up to currency status. We will work to achieve day flight operations, then night flight operations, and then resume training of our Fleet Replacement Squadron pilots,’ a spokesperson said.
Last month, Team 10 reported on a whistleblower’s safety concerns about the Osprey. We also reported on a $8.1 million settlement involving Boeing and the Department of Justice over allegations the company failed to follow critical manufacturing specifications when making parts for the V-22.
In the story, Kelsie Hancock whose fiancé Nick Losapio was killed in a 2022 mishap, called for accountability.
Issues with parts on aircraft
She told Team 10 that she is concerned troops are being asked to fly the Osprey with unresolved mechanical issues.
Investigators said the Osprey Nick was on had mechanical failure and said a dual hard clutch engagement caused the accident.
But before the Osprey went down, Nick indicated he had a hot gearbox indicating the aircraft’s oil was too hot.
It’s a known problem that is supposed to be fixed when the V-22 climbs to a higher altitude.
But Nick’s Osprey still went down.
“I find it peculiar that you know, Nick, most of the time when the plane wasn’t working and he had to cancel flights was because of gearbox issues.”
After the crash, two more Osprey mishaps killed 11 Americans.
Since then, the military has mandated an 800-hour time limit on input quill parts in the gearbox that houses the clutch allowing the Osprey to fly like a helicopter-airplane hybrid.
"What I would like to see is Bell Boeing, redefining and finding an actual solution to the input quill. Not just putting in new ones. Because we've seen it, it's failed,” Hancock said.
House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer said the Department of Defense has failed to provide his committee and Americans with answers.
“Serious concerns remain such as accountability measures put in place to prevent crashes, a general lack of transparency, how maintenance and operational upkeep is prioritized, and how DoD assesses risks,” he said in a statement.
Comer said the committee will continue to rigorously investigate the Osprey program to get answers.
