Safety of V-22 Osprey Questioned Again
June 19, 2001
According to the United States Marine Corp, the V-22 Osprey will revolutionize troop deployment and allow the Corp to retire its aging fleet of troop transport helicopters. However, critics of the Boeing tilt-rotor hybrid call the Osprey a death trap.
Twenty-three marines have died in Osprey crashes since 2000. Currently, a decision on whether to mass-produce the aircraft is being debated by Pentagon and Marine officials. The $31 billion program is a pet project of the Marines but has been opposed by other military leaders and Pentagon bureaucrats for several years. Critics say that the half helicopter, half plane Osprey is far too complex to safely and effectively complete its mission. The aircraft has a history of maintenance problems that have hampered its chances of winning over detractors. In fact, the maintenance issues are so severe that a top Marine Lieutenant Colonel encouraged his subordinates to misstate maintenance records in an attempt to paint the Osprey in as best light as possible.
The plane, which can carry 24 soldiers at over 300 miles per hour, is coveted by the Marine Corps because of its ability to fly at speeds comparable to a fixed wing aircraft, yet land and takeoff much like a helicopter. The Osprey is used in sea borne assault missions where troops are transported from ships to coastal areas.
But why does the Marine Corp insist on supporting an aircraft that is so unreliable and potentially deadly? The Federal government's General Accounting Office has found 22 major deficiencies with the aircraft. Phil Coil, the military's Chief of Testing & Evaluation has called the Osprey "not operationally suitable." In addition, Mr. Coil believes that if full production of the Osprey goes forward, the program "will impose an unacceptable burden in cost, manpower, mission reliability, and operational reliability to the fleet."
Even after two major crashes of the Osprey on April 18, 2000 and December 11, 2000 which killed nearly two dozen Marines, the Marine Deputy Commandant for Aviation, Lieutenant General Fred Marshal said, "I consider the Osprey to be the best aircraft I have ever been in. This accident is not going to do anything to the Osprey program."
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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