Several Factors Ruled Out in Last Osprey Crash

W A S H I N G T O N, Dec. 21 -- The Marine Corps ruled out several possiblecauses today for the Dec. 11 crash of an MV-22 Osprey aircraftin North Carolina, including fuel shortage, but its investigationcontinues.

In a statement, the Marines said an initial review ofinformation extracted from the aircraft’s flight data recordershowed the Osprey experienced a “hydraulic malfunction” relatedto the flight controls. It added, however, that the magnitude ofthis problem is unclear and may not have been instrumental inbringing down the aircraft.

All four Marines aboard the Osprey, including a pilot who hadmore experience flying the aircraft than anyone else in theMarines, were killed in the crash. It was the second fatal Ospreycrash this year. The Marines have grounded the other eight Ospreysin their fleet pending a review of the entire program.

Defense Secretary William Cohen, who ordered the review, saidtoday he added a fourth person to the review panel — Eugene E.Covert, professor emeritus of aeronautics and astronautics at theMassachusetts Institute of Technology. The panel is headed byretired Marine Gen. John R. Dailey and is charged with reviewingthe entire $40 billion program, including the aircraft’s safety andcombat effectiveness.

New Crash Details

The Marines said today they have determined more detailsabout circumstances of the crash.

The tilt-rotor Osprey, which takes off and lands like ahelicopter and cruises like an airplane, was making its fourthpractice approach to Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., andwas planning to make a full-stop landing, when the crew declared anemergency and the aircraft crashed in a wooded area at 7:25 p.m.

The purpose of the multiple approaches was to practice landingin a confined area while wearing night vision goggles.

During a left turn toward the final approach course, the Ospreydescended from 1,600 feet and disappeared from the New River aircontroller’s radarscope at an altitude of approximately 700 feet,the Marines said.