Osprey crashes in Morocco, two dead

Jacksonville Daily News ^ | 4/11/12

[sonofagun]

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Two U.S. Marines were killed and two severely injured in the crash of a hybrid aircraft in Morocco on Wednesday, officials said.

The Marines were taking part in joint U.S.-Moroccan military excercises located in the south of the country based in Agadir, said U.S. Embassy spokesman Rodney Ford in Rabat, who gave the toll.

Capt. Kevin Schultz, a Marine spokesman at the Pentagon in Washington, confirmed that the aircraft involved was an MV-22 Osprey, which takes off and lands like a helicopter and flies like an airplane. The aircraft was participating in a U.S.-Moroccan military exercise known as "African Lion."

[Myrddin]

There was a question of how long that fancy double diaphragm drive that synchronizes the left/right rotors would last. My former boss was going to bid the stress analysis job. I'm not sure it was ever done as the parties interested in doing the analysis couldn't figure out how to couple the vibration signature into a sensor to monitor it. When (not if) that diaphragm fails from work hardening, the bird falls out of the sky.

[toldyou]

I volunteer for the USO and worked on the Iwo Jima last May during Fleet Week in NYC. It was docked on the Hudson River. I always visit the guys on the flight deck and make it a point to visit the Osprey!

[Spktyr]

And yet it STILL has killed less Marines per flight hour than the aircraft it replaces, the CH-46.

[Does so]

"...When (not if) that diaphragm fails from work hardening, the bird falls out of the sky...."

Rumsfeld tried to stop the Osprey: personally, I'm pained by the many crashes and loss of scores of US Marines.

Comparing the Osprey to a helicopter doesn't account for the very few years the Osprey has been in service.

[Kickass Conservative]

I think is was Cheney who tried to stop the Osprey.

[USAF80]

Does that include combat losses where they were shot out of the sky?

[sonofagun]

My wife and I received an email from my son this morning. Although he was not involved in the crash, he lost two dear friends and comrades.

Thank you every one for your prayers.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"I've been watching their development for years (decades?) and I just don't have a good feeling about them."

First started hearing about them while in the Corps in the late 80's. I want to say around 1987 or so. It's been a long time to get this thing operational and numerous times people have tried to kill it. Overall, I think this Osprey is a good thing for the Corps. The capabilities it gives the Marine Corps is tremendous. It's had it's mishaps along the way, but if you go back into the history of every helicopter program, there have been problems, crashes and deaths.

We can't judge this crash without any facts and assume that it was a malfunction of the Osprey. It could be pilot error, weather, mechanical failures due to improper maintenance procedures. A million things. Let's not assume that the helicopter is flawed. Remember, in the early 80's there were people trying to kill the M-1 Abrams program. It is now the main battle tank of our military and without it, there would have been a lot more deaths in Gulf War I and Iraq. Good thing it wasn't killed and is now considered one of the best tanks in the world.

[VF-51vnv]

I was at Bell Helicopter when this was my project during the development phase. Stayed there long enough to see the first production product. After seeing the ballistics test on the under carriage...you don't want to be in there. Lots of maintenance problems..lots of downtime...problems with the transitional modes. The test pilots were even scared to take it up. Trust me on this one...I have flown on the CODs many times. I will take them over the V-22 ANYTIME

[Spktyr]

No, it’s accidents in peacetime or accidents in wartime where combat damage wasn’t the cause. The CH-46 has an unfortunate tendency to fall out of the sky all on its own.

[Spktyr]

At this exact number of years into service, the CH-46 had also killed more people than the Osprey.

[ME-262]

The last operational loss, I believe, was an Air Force Model that the pilot flew into the ground.

As an aircraft engineer I believe most crashes could be considered flying into the ground, LOL!

I personally believe that the V-22 is a horribly foolish design that lifts itself from its extremities in a balance critical fashion when it could do the same job better if the rotor or coaxial rotors pivoted from above the aircraft's center of gravity along the aircraft's center line to in front of the craft. I personally believe the design was drawn up by an artist, and then forced upon the engineers. Unfortunately simple, stable, and effective were abandoned in favor of the "cool looking" Rube Goldberg designed contraption that is the V-22. Best of luck to your son. I hope he stays safe while protecting us.

If I had my way Marine 1 would be an Osprey and Obama, Biden, Reid, and Pelosi would all ride on it together.

[Gaffer]

IIRC, the Osprey program was wrought with difficulties from the start. My assessment is that it was a political jobs tool for the Democrats.

[Gaffer]

I believe so also. A digression...the B-2 has quaternary computer control of the aileron surfaces.....FOUR level backup! It cannot be flown without computer trim .....that should tell us something.....

[sonofagun]

I share your LOL, although I don't share your thoughts on this aircraft's design.

You may get your wish on Marine-1 being an Osprey. I know it's been up for consideration, although I'm not sure what the current status is.

This aircraft is used quite often to move VIP's from one point to another.

I'm not an engineer but I work with an engineering group. I know how engineers can differ, sometimes vehemently, in their design ideas.

The fact of the matter is that this is the first operational loss of an MV-22 by the Marine Corps.

The sensational losses occurred during testing phases of this aircraft.

[hinckley buzzard]

Me neither. Apparently we have troops all over Africa, doing god knows what.

[GeronL]

yet we can’t protect our own borders

[Doogle]

Cpl. Robby A. Reyes of Los Angeles and Cpl. Derek A. Kerns of Fort Dix, New Jersey.

[Chode]

damn, i thought it was another one... Prayers up!