On November 29, 2023, a U.S. Air Force Osprey crashed in Japan. Japanese authorities handed over the wreckage to the United States, who would search for the eight missing servicemembers lost due to the Osprey aircraft crash. Sadly, the CV-22 Osprey incident is far from an isolated one and there are several other examples that have happened before. Osprey aircraft crashes seem to come with the territory unfortunately, and nearly a year later, in November 2024, Japan is once again dealing with issues involving the aircraft

Japan Osprey Aircraft Crash in 2023

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 by the Japanese because of the Japan-U.S. Status Forces Agreement.

This agreement states that Japanese authorities cannot seize or investigate U.S. military property unless the U.S. allows them to.

Since then, 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 crash.

Among the other seven victims were:

• Maj. Jeffrey T. Hoernemann, 32, was a CV-22 instructor pilot and officer who was in charge of training the 21st Special Operations Squadron.
• Maj. Eric V. Spendlove, 36, was a residency-trained flight surgeon and medical operations flight 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.
• 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.

Black Box Recovered With Data Intact

The Osprey aircraft crash in Japan would find the Air Force recovering all of the missing crewmembers, except for the remains of Maj. Eric Spendlove.

However, the Air Force learned more about the crash as they obtained the flight data recorder from the Osprey CV-22 with the data intact.

Previous Osprey aircraft accidents have not had black boxes that were recoverable, making the discovery valuable for investigators looking for clues as to why this 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, where it was taken to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni for closer examination.

The Air Force would end up temporarily grounding its entire fleet of Osprey aircraft has been grounded as would Japan due to the crash.

Have Osprey Aircraft Crashes Happened Before?

There have been other Osprey aircraft crashes in the past, with the 2023 crash 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 aircraft 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.

At the time, there were forty-four Ospreys currently deployed at U.S. and Japanese military bases, and Denny Tamaki, Okinawa’s governor, had doubts about the performance of these aircraft for fear of future accidents happening on either U.S. or Japanese soil.

Sadly, the record of Osprey aircraft crashes is extensive. For example:

• The CV-22B Osprey plane was previously critiqued for its mechanical woes.
• Various military plane crashes in 2022 included an Osprey incident in Norway.
• Many question the use of the V-22 Osprey, which continues to be a mainstay of military budgets for years to come.

These incidents and others are causing concerns but their use is still ongoing. Now, Japan is once again facing an incident involving the V-22 Osprey in November 2024, nearly a year after the fatal crash that claimed the lives of eight American service members.

Japan Ground Osprey Aircraft Yet Again in 2024

Japan has grounded its V-22 Osprey fleet after the aircraft became unstable, tilted, and hit the ground while taking off Yonaguni Island near Taiwan.

This happened during the Keen Sword military exercise, a joint venture between American and Japanese forces.

Thankfully, the aborted flight resulted in no deaths, unlike other Osprey aircraft incidents, which have not been so kind.

The sixteen passengers on board, including three U.S. service members, are safe, but the event echoes the incident in November 2023, in which eight people died.

While Japan’s Minister of Defense Gen Nakatani emphasizes that there isn’t a major safety issue, and despite no injuries being reported, the fleet is grounded until the investigation concludes.

The U.S. Department of Defense’s V-22 joint program office is assisting Japan with the investigation.

Another day, but thankfully, not another Osprey aircraft crash. While serving comes with risks, it’s still worth wondering when enough is going to be enough involving these aircraft, which seem to pose unnecessary risks based on their track record.

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