On November 26th, a U.S. Air Force Osprey crashed in Japan. Japanese authorities are handing the wreckage over to the United States. Now, the U.S. is performing an ongoing search to find the missing servicemembers from this Osprey aircraft crash. While not all Soldiers have been found, the official list of those on the aircraft has been released. There were eight servicemembers aboard the CV-22 Osprey. So far, the remains of three crewmembers have been recovered. The remains of three others have been located and are in the process of recovery. The crash happened over a week ago, and now the military no longer expects to find survivors. Osprey aircraft crashes have happened before, and in light of this tragedy, prayers are going out to the families grieving their loved ones.
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Osprey Aircraft Crashes: Where Does the Search Stand Now?
When the crash originally happened, the Japanese Coast Guard was able to find and report the CV-22 Osprey crash. However, little more could be done from the Japanese because of the Japan-U.S. Status Forces Agreement.
This agreement states that Japan authorities cannot seize or investigate U.S. military property, unless the U.S. allows them to. This means that Japanese authorities cannot look further into this crash on their own. They are continuing their search for pieces of the wreckage and are sending them over to the U.S. for investigation.
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Who Has Been Found So Far?
Air Force Special Operations Command formally identified the first victim as Air Force Staff Sgt. Jacob Galliher of Pittsfield. Consequently, a flood of tributes and condolences have been sent to the family upon hearing news of the Osprey aircraft crashes. Galliher’s family has issued a statement saying that they were in mourning and were hoping for privacy and prayers for those closest to him. Galliher, 24, was a husband and father of two children.
Recently, the Air Force released the names of the other seven victims as they continued their rescue endeavors.
Maj. Jeffrey T. Hoernemann, 32, was a CV-22 instructor pilot and officer that was in charge of training the 21st Special Operations Squadron. Maj. Eric V. Spendlove, 36, was a residency-trained flight surgeon and medical operations fight commander.
Maj. Luke A. Unrath, 34, and Air Force Capt. Terrell K. Brayman, 32, were CV-22 pilots and flight commanders for the 21st Special Operations Squadron. Furthermore, Sgt. Zachary E. Lavoy, 33, was a medical operations flight chief for the 353rd Special Operations Wing.
Staff Sgt. Jake M. Turnage, 25, and Senior Airman Brian K. Johnson, 32, were flight engineers assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron.
Have Osprey Aircraft Crashes Happened Before?
There have been other Osprey aircraft crashes in the past, with this one in particular causing safety concerns in the eyes of the Japanese. This accident occurred during a training exercise, which is causing concerns because they use these aircrafts on both U.S. and Japanese military bases.
The Japanese have formally requested that this version of Osprey military aircraft not be in use, except for search operations. There are forty-four Ospreys currently deployed at U.S. and Japanese military bases, and Denny Tamaki, Okinawa’s governor, has doubts about the performance of these aircrafts for fear of future accidents happening on either U.S. or Japanese soil.
It doesn’t matter who builds Osprey aircraft units, but safety concerns are very valid after this tragic loss of U.S. Soldiers. Thus, the Osprey CV-22 tragedy continues to be an ongoing point of interest for the U.S. Therefore, as condolences go out to the families, the only hope is that there are no more Osprey aircraft crashes in the future to bring about further misfortune.
Update: ‘Black Box’ Recovered With Data Intact
The latest Osprey aircraft crash update has revealed that the Air Force has recovered more data about the crash that occurred in late November last year. As it stands, 7 of the 8 crewmembers remains have been located. Maj. Eric Spendlove is yet to be found. Earlier this week, the Air Force learned more about the crash as they obtained the flight data recorder from the Osprey CV-22.
Upon closer examination, the data was in fact intact. Finding an intact ‘black box’ is commonly know as a critical development. This is especially true for this crash as previous Osprey aircraft crashes have not had ‘black boxes’ that were recoverable. This new discovery comes at a valuable time as investigators are looking for clues as to why the crash occurred in the first place.
In addition to the discovery of the ‘black box’ the USNS Salvor has been able to recover the Osprey wreckage from the floor of the sea. Currently, they are transporting the wreckage to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni for closer examination.
The Air Force has now determined that the crash was a result of material failure and the entire fleet of Osprey aircrafts has been grounded since December 6. Japan has also made the decision to ground their flight of Ospreys in light of this tragedy. Now, questions are being raised about the safety of aircrafts and an ongoing investigation of Osprey aircraft crashes, and Osprey program, has been officially launched.
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