Investigators from the US Marine Corps (USMC) point to pilot error as the main cause of the fatal crash of an MV-22 Osprey in March of this year. The aircraft crashed during a multinational training in Norway, killing all four crew.
O accident with the MV-22B of callsign Ghost 31 occurred on 18/03, during a training flight in of the NATO Cold Response exercise, led by Norway. During the investigation, the USMC analyzed several factors to determine the cause of the fatal event, pointing to pilot error as the cause.
O release released by the 2nd Marine Aviation Wing (2nd MAW) describes in detail the events of that day. The aircraft was crewed by four military personnel: Captain Ross A. Reynolds, pilot in command; Captain Matthew J. Tomkiewicz, copilot; Sergeant James W. Speedy, aerial observer, and Corporal Jacob M. Moore, crew chief. All ed away.
The MV-22 Osprey had taken off from Bodo in northern Norway for a familiarization flight. Pilots conducted landings in confined spaces and returned to Bodo to refuel. They then took off for the south, with an approved flight plan and under good weather conditions.
At some point, the aircraft left the route established in the flight plan. At 16:22, the MV-22 entered the Gratadalen Valley. The investigation points out that about 1 minute later, the aircraft collided with the east face of the valley.
“The investigation evidently concluded that the accident was the result of a series of maneuvers performed at low altitude through the Gratadalen Valley that exceeded the maximum bank angle for an MV-22B Osprey, which caused a loss of altitude, speed and clearance. maneuver from which the crew and aircraft were unable to recover.”
The investigation also points out, based on data collected from the aircraft, that the low altitude maneuvers included a left turn at a 68 degree inclination angle, generating a loss of speed and altitude. The pilot tried to correct, in an exaggerated way, with another turn to the right, with an angle of 80 degrees, entering an irrecoverable situation.
The NATOPS (Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization Manual) states that the limit for bank angle for the Osprey MV-22B is 60 degrees.
The investigation concluded that the accident occurred under weather conditions suitable for that flight, “The crew was qualified for the assigned mission, the aircraft was properly maintained and airworthy, risk mitigation training and pre-deployment training requirements were met and often exceeded.”
Officials also looked at climate and environmental factors, low-altitude training, errors in maintenance documentation, inexperience in mountain environments and the use of recording devices. They concluded that none of these other factors contributed to the accident.
Between January and June, the Marine Corps recorded six Category A accidents (the most serious), resulting in nine deaths and the total loss of four aircraft. In June, another MV-22B crash killed five servicemen. This event is still being investigated by the USMC.
