The families of four Marines who died in a V-22 Osprey crash in California in June 2022 have filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers of the aircraft, accusing them of negligence. The lawsuit alleges that Bell Textron, Boeing, and Rolls-Royce failed to make truthful statements about the design, operation, and safety of the V-22 Osprey aircraft. The complaint asserts that two systems failed in the California crash, leading to a recurrent mechanical problem that can cause the aircraft to crash. The families are seeking answers and justice for their loved ones who lost their lives in the crash.
The military grounded the V-22 Osprey fleet after a series of fatal crashes between March 2022 and November 2023, resulting in the deaths of 20 service members. The grounding was lifted in March, and the Ospreys are gradually returning to service. The military believes it has identified and solved the recurrent clutch problem that caused the June 2022 crash in California. However, the root causes of the Osprey’s problems have not yet been determined. The families of the Marines who died in the crash have filed a lawsuit against the aircraft manufacturers, seeking accountability for the tragedy.
Investigators found that the California crash occurred due to a dual hard clutch engagement issue, leading to a loss of lift and a sudden drop of the aircraft. The experienced pilots did not have time to make any radio communications before the crash. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit allege that in addition to the clutch problem, the Osprey has a defective Interconnect Drive System (ICDS), which is designed to transfer power from one rotor engine to both rotors in case of a failure. The lawsuit aims to investigate all relevant components of the aircraft to determine if there was a defect that contributed to the crash.
The most recent crashes of the V-22 Osprey, including the one in late 2023 in Japan and another in Australia in August 2023, remain under investigation. Air Force officials have focused on the aircraft’s proprotor gearbox as the potential cause of the Japan crash. The program manager for the V-22 has called the part failure in the gearbox “unprecedented.” The families of the fallen service members are waiting for the investigations to be complete and for answers to be disclosed to the public. The families hope that by filing the lawsuit, they can prevent other families from experiencing the same tragic loss they have endured.
One of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Amber Sax, whose husband Capt. John Sax died in the California crash, stated that she filed the lawsuit to get answers for others at risk. She emphasized the importance of ensuring that military equipment and aircraft are free of failures, especially those that can lead to the loss of lives. Another plaintiff, Brett Strickland, echoed the sentiment, expressing the importance of finding the cause of the crash to prevent further tragedies. The families are pushing for accountability and transparency from the aircraft manufacturers and the military to prevent similar incidents in the future.
