Comer calls on Pentagon for Osprey information after fatal crash

House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) is requesting the Pentagon turn over documents and information on the Osprey as he probes potential safety issues with the hybrid aircraft following a fatal crash last month that left eight U.S. troops dead near Japan.

Comer said in a statement that Osprey crashes have killed dozens of American troops in the past 30 years and added he was pushing for transparency and accountability from the Defense Department to ensure the agency is working to protect American troops.

“The Committee remains concerned about safety and performance issues surrounding the Osprey program,” Comer wrote. “It is crucial for the safety of our servicemembers to ensure transparency, accountability, and a thorough understanding of the steps [the Pentagon] is taking to mitigate any further mechanical risks.”

The Kentucky lawmaker is investigating the CV-22 Osprey, the aircraft involved in the most recent fatal crash in Japan. Two top defense and military lawmakers have also pushed for the Government Accountability Office to probe the aircraft for potential safety issues that may affect the entire fleet.

The Air Force grounded the entire fleet of CV-22 Ospreys after the crash while investigators looked into the cause. A preliminary finding has indicated a “potential material failure” was responsible.

The Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) said it has recovered seven of the eight service members who died in the crash. A search team, made of Japanese and American personnel, is continuing recovery efforts.

In the Nov. 29 crash, the Osprey plummeted into the waters near Japan’s Yakushima Island after a fire burst out in one of the engines.

Comer said that since 1992, there have been more than a dozen Osprey crashes that have killed more than 50 American troops. He argued there are existing concerns of reduced visibility, faulty gearboxes and engine failure with the aircraft, which takes off like a helicopter but cruises at higher speeds.

The aircraft is primarily used by special forces units, and Comer said it yields significant advantages, including carrying up to “twenty-four combat troops twice as fast and five times farther than previous helicopters.”

But, he noted, the U.S. military has been plagued by the Osprey failures for decades without amending the issue, saying his investigation was pertinent because of “the gravity of the loss of servicemembers’ lives, increasing costs, and the future economic impact and innovative applications of Osprey program technology.”

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