A U.S. Marine Corps Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft was grounded in New York City yesterday after flames were seen under engine No. 2. The aircraft is part of the HMX-1 presidential helicopter fleet, and was transporting White House and government officials accompanying President Joe Biden during his visit to Staten Island.
The aircraft manufactured by Bell Textron Inc. and Boeing Defense, Space & Security has been plagued with fatal crashes and controversy regarding safety issues. In a letter sent yesterday, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Representative Richard Neal (D-Mass.) called on Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to ground the fleet of Ospreys until the safety issues have been resolved. They stated in the letter:
We write to express our concern regarding the Air Force’s decision to resume deployment of the full fleet of Bell Boeing V-22 Ospreys, especially given the spike in grave safety issues over the past few years that include the need to address mechanical issues at the center of many of the aircraft’s past crashes….
Given the current concerns about the safety of the V-22, the aircraft should be grounded, and should not be deployed again until the platform’s significant deficiencies are fully addressed.
