The Air Force said Tuesday that investigators have determined a parts failure occurred during an Osprey crash in Japan in November that killed all eight airmen on board, but the root cause of the crash is still unknown.
Air Force Special Operations Command said in a statement that the two investigations into the deadly crash, a Safety Investigation Board probe and an Accident Investigation Board inquiry, are still ongoing.
“At this time, the material failure that occurred is known, but the cause of the failure has not been determined,” Air Force Special Operations Command said. “Engineering testing and analysis is ongoing to understand the cause of the material failure, a critical part of the investigation.”
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Prior to Tuesday’s determination, the Osprey fleet had already been under intense scrutiny following other deadly mishaps and a mysterious mechanical issue — called a hard clutch engagement, an issue that occurs in the V-22 gearbox — that has been seen in the aircraft for more than a decade.
Despite little news coming from official channels, officials inside the Pentagon, speaking anonymously, have told news outlets over the past two weeks that the investigation was progressing and eyeing the aircraft’s complex series of clutches and gearboxes as a potential culprit.
The Associated Press has reported that the Pentagon…
