Congress says Pentagon is not providing key info in investigation of fatal Osprey crashes

Congressional investigators say their six-month investigation into crashes of the military’s Osprey aircraft has been stymied by Pentagon officials who refuse to release critical safety investigation reports.

The inquiry by the House Oversight Committee was launched after 20 service members died in four separate Osprey crashes in less than two years, leaving grief-stricken families demanding answers about why the twin-rotor aircraft has had so many accidents.

Three Pentagon officials will face questions from committee members during a hearing Wednesday morning on Capitol Hill, and families whose loved ones died in the crashes plan to attend.

Reached at their home in New Mexico, Michelle and Wayland Strickland, who lost their son Lance Cpl. Evan Strickland in a Marine Osprey crash in California in June 2022, said they planned to fly to Washington overnight to arrive in time for the hearing.

“I’d say we are hopeful that this is the beginning of true oversight of the problems that have plagued the Osprey platform over the years and we hope it will lead to safety for those who use it in the future,” Wayland Strickland said.

In prepared testimony, committee member Glenn Grothman, R-Wisc., said: “Since the V-22 became operational, it has been involved in multiple crashes during training exercises, resulting in the loss of over 50 service members’ lives. These incidents have earned the Osprey the troubling nickname ‘widow maker,’ highlighting the grave concerns surrounding its safety and reliability.”

In joint testimony submitted ahead of the hearing, Vice Adm. Carl Chebi, commander of Naval Air Systems Command, and Gary Kurtz, program executive officer for the Air, Anti-submarine Warfare, Assault and Special Mission Programs