The commander of the US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), Lieutenant General Tony Bauernfeind, directed an operational standdown of the air force’s fleet of Bell Boeing CV-22A Osprey tiltrotor aircraft on 6 December 2023.
The order was made following a fatal CV-22 crash off the Japanese island of Yakushima on 29 November, in which all eight personnel on board were killed.
The Osprey, which was assigned to the Air Force’s 353rd Special Operations Wing based out of Yokota Air Base, Japan, was performing a routine training mission off the shore of Yakushima Island, about 630 miles southwest of Tokyo, when it was lost.
The Japan Air-Self Defense Force, which is the only operator of the V-22 beyond the US military, also stood down its Osprey fleet after the crash.
A press release published on the US Air Force website stated, “Preliminary investigation information indicates a potential materiel failure caused the mishap, but the underlying cause of the failure is unknown at this time. The standdown will provide time and space for a thorough investigation to determine causal factors and recommendations to ensure the Air Force CV-22 fleet returns to flight operations.
“We extend sincere gratitude to the Joint Force and Government of Japan’s Self-Defense Force, Coast Guard, law enforcement and civilian volunteers for their tireless assistance in the search-and-rescue operations for our Air Commandos.”
As of 7 December, the bodies of six of the eight personnel on board the downed Osprey had been receovered.
The V-22 as a type (including US Marine Corps MV-22Bs and US Navy CMV-22Bs) has had 16 hull-loss accidents with a total of 61 fatalities including this latest crash (plus one marine killed in a partial ditching in which the aircraft was not lost). Twelve of those crashes occurred since the type became operational in 2007.
