Families of Marines killed in 2022 Osprey crash sue aircraft manufacturers Boeing, Bell, Rolls Royce

WASHINGTON (AP) — Families of four of the five Marines killed when their Osprey crashed in California in June of 2022 filed a federal lawsuit Thursday alleging that the aircraft’s manufacturers failed to address known mechanical failures that led to the deaths.

The Marines were killed when their MV-22 Osprey experienced a catastrophic mechanical failure known as hard-clutch engagement, a known problem with the tilt-rotor aircraft that has happened more than a dozen times since 2010.

The families named Bell Textron, The Boeing Co. and Rolls Royce in their lawsuit. Bell assembles the Osprey in a partnership with Boeing in its facilities in Amarillo, Texas; Rolls Royce produces the Osprey’s engines.

The Osprey can take off or land like a helicopter but fly like an airplane. The military services have called it a game-changer in that it allows them to travel long distances quickly and land on a target, but it has not been without significant cost: More than 50 service members have been killed in accidents since 2000 in the aircraft.

The lawsuit alleges that the Osprey’s design was flawed and did not meet U.S. safety standards.

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