The U.S. military cleared the V-22 Osprey aircraft to return to service after an unprecedented component failure led to the death of eight service members in Japan last November. The nature of the failure was not released.
AP reported the crash was the second fatal in months and the fourth within a span of two years. As a result, it led to the grounding of some 400 Osprey aircraft across the Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy.
“Maintenance and procedural changes have been implemented to address the materiel failure that allow for a safe return to flight,” according to a March 8 press release. “The U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Air Force will each execute their return to flight plans according to service specific guidelines.”
Despite military officials expressing confidence in the Osprey’s safety and return to service, the decision to lift the grounding drew criticism from Rep James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House Oversight Committee. “DoD is lifting the Osprey grounding order despite not providing the Oversight Committee and the American people answers about the safety of this aircraft,” Comer stated. “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.”
While the aircraft have been cleared to return to service, officials say it could be months before real-world flying missions resume.
