Further Damages Safety Reputation of the Controversial Machine

The Japanese military has grounded its fleet of V-22 Osprey vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft after a takeoff mishap. The aircraft involved was participating in a joint exercise with the US, titled Keen Sword, and carrying 16 service members.

The V-22 was on Yonaguni island, around 62 miles east of Taiwan, for Keen Sword. According to Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Forces (JGSDF), the Osprey had just lifted off when it “became unstable” and began to tilt. The “left wing, the lower part of the aircraft came into contact with the ground and part of the aircraft was damaged, so the flight was aborted.”

No injuries were reported, though the aircraft sustained minor damage. Japan’s Osprey fleet will now remain grounded until an investigation is complete. The Pentagon's V-22 joint program office will be supporting the probe.

The V-22 Osprey is a tiltrotor military transport and cargo aircraft. Depending on its rotor configuration, the aircraft has both vertical and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. Japan currently has just over a dozen Ospreys in service.

The aircraft has only been operational since 2007. Despite it being a relatively new program, the US military already operates around 400 V-22s across the Marines, Air Force, and Navy.

The Osprey already has a somewhat questionable safety reputation. Eleven Ospreys have crashed since 1992, leading to 61 total fatalities.

Last November, a US Air Force V-22 crashed off the coast of Japan and killed eight Airmen. The investigation revealed a “catastrophic failure” within one of the gearboxes, leading to an “unrecoverable” loss of control prior to landing. The entire Osprey fleet was grounded for a month after the accident.

'We believe there is no safety problem with Ospreys, although ensuring flight safety is a prerequisite for aircraft operations,' commented Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani.

FMI: www.marines.mil