Gearbox Caused Fatal Osprey Crash in Japan, Air Force Says
- Eight crew members were killed in crash last November
- Similar problems have been behind previous Osprey emergencies
Source: Jiji Press/AFP/Getty Images
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A major gearbox failure caused the crash of a US military Osprey aircraft off the coast of Japan last year that killed eight airmen, the US Air Force said, a cause similar to some previous incidents with the tilt-rotor aircraft.
An investigation by the Air Force, released Thursday, said the crash was caused by a “catastrophic” failure of the left-hand gearbox that destabilized the aircraft. The report also said the pilots contributed to the disaster by failing to quickly divert to an emergency landing location.