The MV-22 Osprey recently made its first deployment to Iraq with the Marine Corps. The aircraft appears to continue to have some problems:
The military is investigating an engine fire aboard a MV-22 tilt-rotor Osprey this week, but said on Friday it was too soon to discuss any possible impact on V-22s deployed in Iraq.
“We’re not at this point drawing any conclusions one way or another. It hasn’t therefore led to any fleetwide action,” said U.S. Navy spokesman James Darcy.
The V-22 takes off and lands like a helicopter, but flies like an airplane. It is built by Boeing Co and Bell Helicopter, a unit of Textron Inc.
The Marine Corp said an MV-22 assigned to a training squadron at Marine Corps Air Station New River, near Jacksonville, North Carolina, had to land unexpectedly on Tuesday after a fire in the housing of its left engine.
The five-member crew activated on-board fire suppression systems, landed safely at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, and evacuated the aircraft. There were no injuries, but the fire caused significant damage to the engine, Darcy said.
The Osprey has had its share of technical problems. It was nearly canceled after two deadly accidents earlier this decade, but Navy and Marine Corps officials say its speed and range make it an important new asset.
Earlier this year, the Navy grounded its entire fleet of MV-22s to replace faulty pressure switches after being advised they posed a “serious risk” of a “catastrophic” crash.”
yojoe out
Filed under: Iraq, MV-22 Osprey, Marine Corps, Military, Military Hardware, Military Technology, Navy, Technology, War
