Four families of Marines who lost their lives in a tragic V-22 Osprey crash in California in 2022 have taken legal action by filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the manufacturers of the military aircraft. The lawsuit alleges that the companies failed to inform the Pentagon about known safety issues with the V-22 Osprey.
A federal lawsuit was filed on Thursday in California against Boeing, Bell Textron, and Rolls-Royce. The lawsuit alleges that these aircraft manufacturers failed to provide timely, accurate, and truthful information about the dangers associated with their aircraft to the government and military service members.
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Bell Textron and Boeing, the manufacturers of the aircraft, have chosen not to provide any comments regarding the ongoing litigation. Additionally, Rolls-Royce, the producer of Osprey engines, has not responded to the request for comment.
During a training mission in June 2022, five Marines tragically lost their lives when their MV-22B Osprey crashed east of San Diego.
Air Force Special Operations Command later uncovered a problem with hard clutch engagement. The clutch that connects one of an Osprey’s two engines to the propeller rotor slipped for unknown reasons, prompting the aircrew to swiftly land the aircraft.
The hybrid aircraft, utilized by the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, combines the vertical takeoff capabilities of a helicopter with the horizontal flight capabilities of a plane. Unfortunately, this aircraft has been involved in numerous crashes throughout its lifetime, resulting in the tragic loss of over 50 service members. Specifically, from March 2022 to November 2023, four crashes occurred, resulting in the deaths of 20 service members.
In November, a tragic accident claimed the lives of eight Marines when their tiltrotor aircraft crashed into the sea off the coast of Japan. The investigation into the crash is ongoing.
The incident caused the U.S. military to ground all of its Osprey aircraft for a period of three months. This event also triggered a thorough review of the program, although the findings of this review have not yet been made public.
The families filing the complaint on Thursday claim that the California crash occurred due to two systems that were not repaired, while the companies involved made misleading statements about the aircraft’s safety and airworthiness.
Tim Loranger, the attorney representing the families, stated in a press release that despite the claims made by Bell-Boeing and other parties regarding the safety of this aircraft and its systems, the evidence suggests otherwise.
Amber Sax, the wife of Capt. John Sax, who tragically passed away in the California crash, expressed her concerns in a statement to NBC News. She filed the lawsuit with the intention of safeguarding others who may be at risk due to the Osprey aircraft.
“Our military personnel should have access to reliable equipment and aircraft that do not pose any risks to their lives,” she expressed with deep concern. “I was supposed to be enjoying my golden years with my husband. It is heart-wrenching to see our two children growing up without their father.”
