Marines Exonerated in Marana Crash

[killbilly]

http://www.stripes.com/dod-clears-osprey-pilots-in-2000-marana-crash-1.397072

“The totality of evidence confirms the adage that every accident is the result of an interrelated chain of events …. After considering all of the links in the chain that led to this particular accident, I disagree with the characterization that the pilots’ drive to accomplish the mission was “the fatal factor” in the crash.”

-Deputy SecDef, Bob Work

This was a long time coming.

@USMCmech @MikeFavinger @MikeD

 

[Wardogg]

I flew with Lt Col Brow when I was with VMGR 452. Great Marine and pilot. Glad to see this come out.

 

[Springer]

Finally one for the pilots.

 

[hook_dupin]

I really believe the military safety/accident investigation processes (they are two different processes for those who don't know...) often place increased blame on aircrew when a system is still in it's development and fielding phases. The entire organization is motivated to not call the baby ugly.

 

[NovemberEcho]

They also try to place blame on an enlisted member before an officer whenever they can. At Tyndall an F-22 did a belly slide after the pilot raised the gear before doing the "go" part of a touch and go. They attempted to blame the enlisted ATC guy doing the PAR approach instead of the pilot initially.

 

[H46Bubba]

The Marine Corps brass wanted the Osprey no matter what the cost. They were the driving force behind the scenenes for the Navy choosing the Osprey to replace the C-2 as the Navy's COD platform. Military crash investigations are subject to pressures from the DoD and Congress, especially if it involves a new aircraft program.

 

[MikeD]

The Marine Corps brass wanted the Osprey no matter what the cost. They were the driving force behind the scenenes for the Navy choosing the Osprey to replace the C-2 as the Navy's COD platform. Military crash investigations are subject to pressures from the DoD and Congress, especially if it involves a new aircraft program.

You may remember the Marine squadron commander of the V-22 test squadron who was telling his guys to essentially falsify the maintenance logs and make the bird look good

 

[Cazadores]

You may remember the Marine squadron commander of the V-22 test squadron who was telling his guys to essentially falsify the maintenance logs and make the bird look good

I do, HMM 261, MCAS New River if I remember correctly.

VMM now I guess. Example of some really screwed up priorities there.

 

[MikeD]

Here at AVQ
(photo credit: me)

 

[USMCmech]

I was at HMX-1 when this crash happened.

Kelly Keith who was the crew chief of the accident aircraft had been my roommate at Quantico before transferring to Pax River. He was the first friend I lost to an airplane crash.

Only a few months later the crash in New River put the entire program in serious jeopardy.


The crash was in fact utimately due to the pilot's actions, but the brass was also responsible for the many flaws in that program.


What can we learn from this crash? Don't try to save a bad approach, go around if your approach is unstable. If the pilots had realized that they were overshooting the LZ and done a go around, there wouldn't have been a crash.

 

[killbilly]

The crash was in fact utimately due to the pilot's actions, but the brass was also responsible for the many flaws in that program.

This distinction is important. I know I said, "exonerated" in the headline of the post but, "relieved of the totality of the blame" seemed a bit wonky to type. They weren't solely the cause, and that's the closure/statement that the families were looking for.

 

[Wardogg]

The crash was in fact utimately due to the pilot's actions, but the brass was also responsible for the many flaws in that program.

How does a pilot prevent himself from putting an aircraft in a dangerous situation he doesn't know exists?

 

[USMCmech]

How does a pilot prevent himself from putting an aircraft in a dangerous situation he doesn't know exists?

Everyone focuses on the final roll as the cause of the crash, but as always it was the final link in the accident chain. It was set up by the rapid rate of descent with low forward airspeed that would have put any helicopter into VRS, the osprey was actually later to be found very resistant to VRS. If he had waved off his approach at this point, as any pilot should when not on a stable approach, he should have been fine.

The Gottcha moment was that no one had considered the possibility of only one rotor entering VRS while the other wasn't. This condition is unique to the osprey and was the final link in the accident chain.

 

[dustoff17]

How does a pilot prevent himself from putting an aircraft in a dangerous situation he doesn't know exists?

He (they) knew that they were heavy, and had to have known they were fast and steep. And, based on other information in the investigation, were faster and descending steeper than on previous approach.
They had to have known that the potential for unknown results was present; especially since they were flying outside of their previous training, And yet they continued......

Everyone focuses on the final roll as the cause of the crash, but as always it was the final link in the accident chain. It was set up by the rapid rate of descent with low forward airspeed that would have put any helicopter into VRS, the osprey was actually later to be found very resistant to VRS. If he had waved off his approach at this point, as any pilot should when not on a stable approach, he should have been fine.

The Gottcha moment was that no one had considered the possibility of only one rotor entering VRS while the other wasn't. This condition is unique to the osprey and was the final link in the accident chain.

THIS!
This change in the accident report is pure politics. However, if it makes the families and friends sleep better then so be it.