Air Force Finds Mechanical and Crew Failures in Fatal Osprey Crash Last Year

An Air Force investigation determined that the “catastrophic failure” of a gearbox led to a deadly Osprey crash off the coast of Japan last year that resulted in hundreds of aircraft being grounded in the United States and abroad.

A report on the inquiry released on Thursday also suggested that swifter action by the pilot could have prevented the aircraft from crashing in November in the waters off the small southern island of Yakushima, killing all eight Air Force Special Operations Command service members on board.

“The purpose of the investigation was to identify the cause and contributing factors that led to this mishap,” Lt. Gen. Tony D. Bauernfeind, who led the command during the inquiry, said in a statement. “By conducting a thorough review and accident and safety investigations, we hope to provide answers to the families of the airmen that lost their lives and prevent future occurrences and tragedies.”

The crew received multiple warning signals, including an indication to “land as soon as possible” because of metal chipping off the aircraft’s gears. The crew received six warnings the day of the crash.

The crew eventually aborted its planned mission, but investigators found that its risk management was inadequate. The pilot should have tried to land earlier, when the flight could have been diverted to closer airfields, investigators wrote. Instead, the pilot delayed taking action on the warnings and continued with the planned exercises.

Just before the crash, the Osprey was about half a mile from the end of the runway at Yakushima Airport, in the middle of an emergency landing that investigators said came too late. Cascading failures resulted in the aircraft catching fire and plunging into the water.