New York– On Monday, an Osprey being used to transport White House staffers and government officials from an event in New York was grounded due to safety concerns, after a witness reported flames under the right engine.
Staff and officials were removed from the aircraft, which was part of the Marine Corps HMX-1 presidential helicopter fleet, and transferred to another Osprey to continue his visit with President Joe Biden. “Friendsgiving” event with members of the US Coast Guard In Staten Island.
The issue caused a brief delay in Biden's return to Washington on Monday evening.
The incident came the same day that lawmakers sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asking him to ground the Army's entire fleet of V-22 Ospreys until safety and design issues identified by The Associated Press are addressed. A solution could not be found. Recent thorough investigation of the aircraft's accident record.
The Marine Corps did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the New York incident. A journalist traveling with the President reported that a fire broke out under the right engine shortly before crews received the call to ground the Osprey.
This is not the first time that White House staff or journalists have had to be removed from the Osprey during a trip due to security concerns. An Osprey plane carrying White House reporters and staff returned to the ground shortly after takeoff in November 2023, when four loud “pops” were heard and smoke was seen.
In a letter sent to Austin on Monday, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and Representative Richard Neal, all Democrats of Massachusetts, said that “given current concerns about the safety of the V-22, the aircraft should be grounded, And it should not be deployed again until the platform's critical vulnerabilities are fully resolved.”
The AP found that the Osprey, which flies like both a helicopter and an airplane, has been involved in more than 21 major crashes, many of which can be linked to choices made in its design.
The entire fleet was grounded for three months this year after a fatal accident in Japan in November 2023 that killed eight service members, including one from Massachusetts.
The Ospreys, which are operated by the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps and used in the presidential fleet, have now returned to flight operations with some restrictions.
Osprey pilots have told the AP that despite safety concerns, they do not want to see the plane grounded because of its unique capabilities. Program officials have said they are working on improvements to improve the safety and reliability of the V-22.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter.
Lawmakers also cited an AP report that pilots are having to depress the V-22's “interim power” feature to be able to land safely — but they are advised not to do so because it could damage parts. Can spoil. Intermittent power was a factor in the most recent accident in October when a Japanese Self-Defense Forces Osprey tilted violently and hit the ground on takeoff. An investigation revealed that the pilots were at fault for not turning on interim power during takeoff.
“The reality for pilots is that they have to push the plane to its limits to remain safe,” the lawmakers wrote.