Pentagon to lift ban on V-22 Osprey flights, 3 months after fatal crash in Japan
U.S. officials tell The Associated Press that the Pentagon will lift the ban on flights by the grounded V-22 Osprey next week
By BY LOLITA C. BALDOR and TARA COPP
Published - Mar 01, 2024, 02:52 PM ET
Last Updated - Mar 01, 2024, 03:11 PM EST
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon will lift the ban on flights by the grounded V-22 Osprey next week, U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Friday, following a high-level meeting where Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin endorsed the military services' plans for a safe and measured return to operations.
The Osprey has been grounded for almost three months following a Nov. 29 Air Force Special Operations Command crash in Japan that killed eight service members. The Japan incident and an earlier August Osprey crash in Australia that killed three Marines are both still under investigation. The Air Force has said that it has identified what failed in the Japan crash, even though it does not know yet why it failed.
