Marines Want Simulator Replication Of Fatal Osprey Crash

Marines Want Simulator
Replication Of Fatal Osprey Crash


by Robert Wall


04/20/00 03:12:27 PM U.S. EDT

To investigate the cause of the V-22 Osprey crash earlier this month, the Marine Corps wants to replicate the fatal mission in a simulator, Lt. Gen. Frederick McCorkle, the Marine’s deputy commandant for aviation, said today. NASA has offered the use of one its simulators for that purpose.

Data from the flight data recorder has been extracted successfully. At this point there are no indications that the crash that killed 19 Marines was caused by either mechanical or maintenance problems or pilot error, McCorkle said.

The remaining V-22s remain grounded. Once the flight restriction is lifted, the Marines plan to first fly those Ospreys built during the engineering and manufacturing development phase. Later, test pilots will start flying the production aircraft before missions carrying troops will resume.

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