Congress launches probe into Osprey program after deadly crashes

Over 50 US service members have died in Osprey crashes since the program began

A group of lawmakers has launched a probe into the US military’s controversial Osprey program following a series of deadly crashes involving the aircrafts.

On Thursday, the US House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Accountability sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin saying that the committee is “concerned about safety and performance issues surrounding the Osprey program”.

The letter, written by committee chairman and Republican Representative James Comer, said the committee is seeking extensive documentation from the Pentagon in order “to better understand the Osprey program’s performance, safety, and oversight” as it launches an investigation into the use of the craft.

“Our servicemembers remain in harm’s way without resolution of known mechanical issues,” the letter reads.

“While, statistically, the Osprey is not considered as dangerous as some other military aircraft, the Committee remains alarmed that most fatalities involving the aircraft have happened during training exercises, not combat operations.”

The Pentagon was given a 4 January deadline to hand over the documents to the committee.

The members of Japanese Coast Guard carry the debris which are believed to be from the crashed US military Osprey aircraft in early December (AP)

Earlier this month, the US military took the extraordinary step of grounding all of its Osprey V-22 helicopters, following the deaths of eight Air Force Special Operations Command service members in a crash off the coast of Japan.

The crash unfolded on 29 November not long after the US Air Force CV-22 set off on a training flight from the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture headed to the largest US base in the area – Kadena Air Base on Okinawa.

Soon after taking off, the aircraft requested an emergency landing on the small island of Yakishima. It then crashed into the sea close to the island.

A preliminary investigation of the crash indicated that a material failure with the aircraft – and not a mistake by the crew – was to blame.

Japan grounded its fleet of 14 Ospreys following the crash; around a week later, the US followed suit.

The recent crash marked the latest in a series of incidents involving Osprey aircraft around the world.

A US military CV-22 Osprey takes off from Iwakuni base, Yamaguchi prefecture, western Japan in 2018 (AP)

In total, more than 50 US service members have died in Osprey crashes over the lifespan of the program, with 20 of those killed in four crashes over the last 20 months.

Three US Marines were killed and eight others were taken to hospital following an Osprey crash on an Australian island in August, CBS notes.

In the summer of last year, five Marines died when an Osprey crashed in the desert in California.

The Osprey only became operational in 2007 after decades of testing. Since then, it’s become a workhorse for the Marine Corps and Air Force Special Operations Command, and was in the process of being adopted by the Navy to replace its C-2 Greyhound propeller planes, which transport personnel on and off aircraft carriers at sea.

The Associated Press contributed to this report