The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American military aircraft that has had a history of accidents, which has raised concerns about its safety. The aircraft was created by Bell Helicopter and Boeing Helicopters, which are responsible for building and maintaining it.
As of November 2023, sixteen V-22 Ospreys have been destroyed in incidents that have resulted in the deaths of sixty-two people. Four of these crashes happened during testing flights before the aircraft was officially used, and these crashes caused the deaths of thirty people between 1991 and 2000. Since the V-22 began being used in 2007, twelve crashes and other incidents have caused the deaths of thirty-two people.
Most of the crashes have involved the most common version of the aircraft, the MV-22B, which is operated by the U.S. Marine Corps. A few crashes have involved the CV-22B, which is used by the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command. No crashes have involved the CMV-22B, the version used by the U.S. Navy for delivering supplies to ships.
Crashes and hull–loss accidents
On 11 June 1991, a mistake in the flight control system caused two minor injuries when the left nacelle hit the ground while the aircraft was hovering 15 feet (4.6 m) above the ground. This made the aircraft bounce and catch fire at New Castle County Airport in Delaware. The pilot, Grady Wilson, thought he might have accidentally set the throttle lever in the wrong direction, which could have worsened the accident.
On 20 July 1992, a pre-production V-22 #4 had a failure in its right engine. This caused the aircraft to drop into the Potomac River near Marine Corps Base Quantico. Flammable liquids in the right nacelle led to an engine fire and the aircraft’s failure. All seven people on board died, and the V-22 fleet was taken out of service for eleven months. A titanium firewall was later added to protect the composite propshaft.
On 8 April 2000, a V-22 carrying Marines attempted to land at Marana Northwest Regional Airport in Arizona. It descended faster than normal (over 2,000 ft/min or 10 m/s) from an unusually high altitude while moving forward at less than 45 miles per hour (39 kn; 72 km/h). The aircraft suddenly stalled its right rotor at 245 feet (75 m), rolled over, crashed, and exploded, killing all nineteen people on board.
The cause was found to be vortex ring state (VRS), a problem that happens during vertical descent and is common in helicopters. At the time, the V-22’s rules limited its descent rate to 800 feet per minute (4.1 m/s) when flying slower than 40 knots (74 km/h), similar to helicopters. The crew of the accident aircraft descended more than twice this rate. Another possible cause was multiple aircraft flying close together, a risk factor for VRS in helicopters.
Later tests showed that the V-22 and other tiltrotors are less likely to experience VRS than helicopters. Pilots can recognize VRS more easily, recover from it more naturally, and lose less altitude. With enough altitude (2,000 ft or 610 m or more), recovering from VRS is easier. The V-22 has a safe descent area as large as or larger than most helicopters, which helps it land quickly and safely in dangerous areas. The project team also added a warning light and voice message that says "Sink Rate" when the V-22 approaches half the descent rate that could cause VRS.
On 11 December 2000, a V-22 had a flight control error and crashed near Jacksonville, North Carolina, at Marine Corps Air Station New River. All four people on board died. Vibration from nearby wiring caused a leak in the hydraulic line that controlled the right rotor blade. This triggered a Primary Flight Control System (PFCS) alert. A software error in the aircraft caused it to slow down each time the pilot tried to reset the PFCS alert. The aircraft fell 1,600 feet (490 m) and crashed in a forest. Wiring and hydraulic line designs in the nacelles were later changed. This led the Marine Corps to ground its eight V-22s, the second grounding in 2000.
An MV-22B had an uncontrolled engine acceleration while turning on the ground at Marine Corps Air Station New River, NC. Because the aircraft adjusts power turbine speed with blade pitch, the reaction caused the aircraft to lift off with the throttle at idle. The aircraft rose 6 to 7 feet (1.8 to 2.1 m) into the air and then crashed, damaging its starboard wing. The damage cost about $7 million. A miswired cannon plug to one of the engine’s Full Authority Digital Engine Controls (FADEC) was the cause. The FADEC software was later changed to reduce the time needed to switch between backup systems, preventing similar accidents. The aircraft was too damaged to repair and was removed from the Navy’s list in July 2009.
In April 2010, a CV-22 crashed near Qalat in Zabul Province, Afghanistan. Three U.S. service members and one civilian died, and sixteen were injured. At first, it was unclear if enemy fire caused the crash. The aircraft was landing at night near Qalat (altitude about 5,000 feet) in poor visibility and turbulence. The U.S. Air Force ruled out brownout conditions, enemy fire, and VRS as causes. The investigation found that low visibility, a poorly executed approach, loss of awareness, and a high descent rate contributed to the crash.
Brig. Gen. Donald Harvel, who led the first investigation, said "unidentified contrails" during the last 17 seconds of flight suggested engine problems. Harvel later criticized the aircraft and claimed his retirement was delayed to stop him from speaking publicly about safety concerns. The actual cause of the crash may never be known because the wreckage and black-box recorder were destroyed by U.S. military aircraft. Former USAF engineer Eric Braganca said the engines were operating normally at the time, as they typically emit smoke.
An MV-22B from the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, VMM-261, crashed near Tan-Tan and Agadir, Morocco, on 11 April 2012, killing two Marines and seriously injuring two others. The aircraft was lost. U.S. investigators found no mechanical issues and concluded human error caused the crash.
On 13 June 2012, a USAF CV-22B crashed at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida during training. All five people on board were injured, but two were released from the hospital soon after. The aircraft landed upside down and suffered major damage. The cause was pilot error, as the CV-22 flew through the proprotor wash of another aircraft. The USAF restarted formation flight training after this incident.
An MV-22B participating in a training exercise at Bellows Air Force Station, Oahu, Hawaii, had a hard landing that killed two Marines and injured twenty. The aircraft sustained fuselage damage and a fire. The Marine Corps found that dust entered the right engine and recommended improved air filters and reduced hover time in dust from 60 to 30 seconds.
On 13 December 2016 at 10:00 p.m., an MV-22B crashed while landing on a reef 0.6 miles (0.97 km) off the Okinawa coastline of Camp Schwab. The aircraft broke apart, but all five crew members were rescued. Two were injured and treated. Ospreys in Japan were grounded the next day. An investigation began, and preliminary reports suggested the refueling hose was struck by the Osprey’s rotor blades during in-flight refueling with a HC-130. On 18 December 2016, the III Marine Expeditionary Force concluded that the crash
Other accidents and notable incidents
On July 11, 2006, a V-22 Osprey had a problem with its right engine during its first flight across the Atlantic Ocean to the United Kingdom for the Royal International Air Tattoo and Farnborough Airshow. The aircraft had to change course and fly to Iceland for repairs. A week later, reports said other V-22s were also having issues with engine surges and stalls. The Navy began an investigation to find the cause.
In December 2006, a serious fire happened in the nacelle of a Marine MV-22 Osprey at New River.
On March 29, 2007, a V-22 Osprey had a hydraulic leak that caused a fire in the engine compartment before takeoff.
On November 6, 2007, an MV-22 Osprey from VMMT-204 caught fire during a training mission and had to make an emergency landing at Camp Lejeune. The fire started in one of the engine nacelles, causing major damage to the aircraft but no injuries.
After an investigation, it was found that a design problem with the engine air particle separator (EAPS) caused it to get stuck during flight. This created a shock wave in the hydraulic system, leading to leaks. Hydraulic fluid leaked into the IR suppressors, causing the nacelle fires. Because of this, all Block A V-22 aircraft were not allowed to fly until modification kits were added. Block B aircraft, used by the Marines, were not affected because they already had the modifications.
In FY 2009, an Air Force CV-22 Osprey had a Class A mishap that caused more than $1 million in damage. No details about the incident were shared.
On July 7, 2011, a crew chief from VMM-264 squadron in Afghanistan fell about 200 feet (61 meters) to his death.
In early October 2014, an MV-22 Osprey lost power shortly after taking off from the USS Makin Island. The aircraft splashed into the Arabian Sea and was partially submerged for about four feet (one meter) before the pilots regained control and landed on the carrier deck. One Marine drowned after his life preserver failed to inflate when he exited the aircraft. The accident was caused by the aircraft being accidentally set to maintenance mode, which reduces engine power by one-fifth.
On January 29, 2017, an MV-22 Osprey had a hard landing during a mission in Al Bayda, Yemen, against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The landing caused injuries to two U.S. troops. The aircraft could not fly afterward and was destroyed by U.S. airstrikes.
In April 2021, a CV-22 Osprey damaged the helipad at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The incident happened during a medical transfer training mission by the U.S. Air Force.