Navy Report Exposes Growing Risks in V‑22 Osprey, Calls for Urgent Fixes

Twenty service members have died in V‑22 Osprey accidents over the last four years, a death toll that has prompted a Navy report that calls the aircraft’s safety record “growing” and its risk management “inadequate”.

Navy Report Findings

The report, issued by Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) on Friday, notes that the cumulative risk posture of the V‑22 platform has been growing since initial fielding, and that the office in charge has not promptly implemented fixes to mitigate existing risks.

As a result, risks continue to accumulate,” the report said, highlighting a trend that has not leveled off in recent years.

The Associated Press last year reported that the most serious types of accidents for the Osprey spiked between 2019 and 2023, a pattern that differs from other aircraft.

The Osprey, the only aircraft that flies like a plane but converts to land like a helicopter, remains the most aero‑mechanically complex platform in service and continues to face unresolved legacy material, safety, and technical challenges, the report added.

Commissioned in 2023 by NAVAIR, the investigation found that the Osprey has the second highest number of catastrophic risks across all Naval Aviation platforms, and that those risks have gone unresolved for an average of more than 10 years, compared with an average of six years for other aircraft in the Navy’s inventory.

Osprey Issues

The investigation attributes much of the problem to the Osprey’s Joint Program Office, an entity that operates within NAVAIR and is responsible for ensuring the aircraft can be safely flown by the Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force.

The report found that the office did not effectively manage or address identified risks in a timely manner, allowing them to accumulate, and that it faced challenges in implementing safety fixes across all three services.

Two major mechanical problems involve the aircraft’s complicated transmission system, which contains gearboxes and clutches that power each propeller and maintain flight stability in the event of engine failure.

One issue causes the transmission system to shred itself from the inside due to a power imbalance in the engines; this failure brought down a Marine Corps Osprey in California in 2022, killing five Marines.

The other issue is a manufacturing defect in the gears within the transmission that makes them more brittle and prone to failure; that defect was behind an Air Force Osprey crash off the coast of Japan in November 2023, killing eight service members.

The manufacturing defect dates back to 2006, but the Joint Program Office did not formally assess or accept this risk until March 2024.

In addition to mechanical failures, the program office failed to ensure uniform maintenance standards for the aircraft, while determining that 81% of all the accidents that the Ospreys have had on the ground were due to human error.

Accountability and Response

Vice Admiral John Dougherty, commander of NAVAIR, said the service is “committed to improving the V‑22’s performance and safeguarding the warfighters who rely on this platform.”

He offered no details on any actions taken for years of failing to address the Osprey’s risks, and the command did not respond to questions about accountability measures taken in response to the findings.

The lack of details on accountability for missteps also surfaced when the Navy released investigations into four accidents during a U.S.-led campaign against Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

A senior Navy official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to offer more candid details, said that he didn’t believe the service had an obligation to make accountability actions public.

Recommendations and Future Fixes

The report offers a series of recommendations, ranging from consolidating best maintenance practices across all services to developing a new midlife upgrade program for the Osprey.

Fixes for the two mechanical issues are projected to take until 2034 and 2033, respectively, to fully address, according to the report.

Naval Air Systems Command did not reply when asked if it had a message for troops who will fly in the aircraft in the meantime.

GAO Parallel

The Government Accountability Office, an independent watchdog for Congress, released a separate report on Friday that reached similar conclusions and recommendations.

The GAO blamed most Osprey accidents on part failures and human error while service members flew or maintained the aircraft, and it determined that the military has not fully identified, analyzed, or responded to all of the Osprey’s safety risks.

The GAO said the Pentagon should improve its process for addressing those risks, while adding more oversight to ensure they are resolved.

Another recommendation from the GAO is for the Navy, Air Force and Marines to routinely share information on hazards and accidents to help prevent mishaps.

Key Takeaways

• The Navy report confirms that the V‑22 Osprey’s risk posture has been worsening for two decades, with unresolved catastrophic risks averaging more than 10 years.
• Mechanical failures in the transmission system caused fatal crashes in 2022 and 2023, and the Joint Program Office only formally accepted the related risk in March 2024.
• Fixes are projected to take until 2033–2034, while the GAO urges stronger oversight and inter‑service information sharing.

With a death toll of 20 service members and a safety record that has not improved in recent years, the V‑22 Osprey’s future hinges on the Navy’s ability to implement the report’s recommendations and on the GAO’s call for tighter oversight and accountability.