Air Force unsure when grounded Ospreys will resume flight after investigation

The Air Force is uncertain when it will resume flying the CV-22 Osprey, more than two months after an accident that killed eight special operations airmen off the coast of Japan. Air Force investigators are continuing to investigate the crash and review whether the service's Osprey force is properly trained and equipped to fly safely. The Pentagon's Joint Safety Council is working with the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy to return their Ospreys to service.

The tiltrotor aircraft is known for its towering nacelles that allow it to launch and land like a helicopter and speed forward like a fixed-wing plane. Air Force special operations units use the CV-22 to navigate into and out of areas where fixed-wing planes may not be able to land with troops and supplies. Each Osprey can carry about three dozen troops or 10,000 pounds of cargo.

While it remains unclear what downed the American CV-22 in November, the Air Force has said that an aircraft malfunction — not a mistake by the crew — likely caused the crash. The Pentagon believes it has identified the cause but has declined to divulge the information as further analysis is underway.

Four fatal Osprey crashes have claimed the lives of 20 American troops since March 2022, marking the first fatal incident involving an Air Force-owned CV-22 since 2010. The Air Force grounded its Osprey fleet for two weeks in 2022 following back-to-back "hard clutch" incidents, after the aircraft's clutch temporarily slipped and then re-engaged.

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