Lawsuit filed by families of Marines killed in 2022 Osprey crash against aircraft manufacturers

In June 2022, a tragic incident occurred when an Osprey aircraft crashed in California, resulting in the deaths of five Marines. The families of four of the Marines filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers of the aircraft, claiming that known mechanical failures were not addressed, leading to the fatal crash. The Osprey aircraft, specifically the MV-22 Osprey, experienced a mechanical failure called hard-clutch engagement, which had occurred multiple times since 2010. This failure can cause the aircraft to lose control suddenly, giving pilots very little time to react. The families named Bell Textron, The Boeing Co., and Rolls Royce in the lawsuit. Bell and Boeing work together to assemble the Osprey, while Rolls Royce produces the engines for the aircraft. The Osprey is known for its ability to travel long distances quickly and land precisely on targets, but it has also been involved in several accidents resulting in the deaths of over 50 service members since 2000. The investigation into the 2022 crash revealed that the Marines were performing routine flight operations when a dual hard-clutch engagement occurred, leading to an unpreventable mechanical failure. The crash took place in a remote area near Glamis, California. Following the crash, the US Air Force identified a potential materiel failure as a cause of another Osprey crash off the coast of Japan, leading to the grounding of the entire Osprey fleet by all military services. Boeing, Bell, and Rolls Royce have refrained from commenting on the litigation. The families of the Marines are suing the manufacturers for negligence, misrepresentation, and failure to address known issues with the Osprey aircraft. The lawsuit aims to uncover the reasons behind the crashes and ensure that necessary steps are taken to prevent such tragedies in the future.