MV-22 crashes in Hawaii

Reports are coming in that what could be a V-22 with 21 people on board has crashed at Bellows Air Force Station in Hawaii. Bellows is a big Marine training area, where they frequently come ashore with amphibious assault vehicles, as well as perform helicopter training. It's also a popular beach for military personnel, that has cabins you can rent, camping, and other activities.

At about 11:45 this morning Hawaii time (about two hours ago) a plume of black smoke was seen coming from the base, and reports that a military aircraft had crashed came in. The Marines had a previously announced training exercise scheduled, but it's not clear if the aircraft was participating in that training or not. It's being described as a helicopter crash, but some twitter reports say that it was a V-22 with 21 people (four crew members, and 17 troops). Initial reports are that two are critical, but no word on whether anyone was killed. Pictures of the fire show the entire aircraft is engulfed, and there's nothing recognizable.

www.huffingtonpost.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

an Osprey.




I wonder if it was some error, or if they are still having issues they had what was it 10 years ago?

a reply to: KnightLight

No, almost all the recent crashes have been human error. They've had a few accidents that were mechanical problems, but they were usually after they were already on the ground. It's had a really good safety record lately.

I'm still trying to confirm whether it WAS an Osprey. Since it just happened a couple hours ago, details are pretty sketchy. I'm hoping my friends back home can get me more information.

MV-22 from the 15th MEU suffered what they're describing as a hard landing. They took twelve Marines to the hospital, but aren't reporting any dead.

khon2.com...

Ospreys are scheduled to be stationed at MCBH in the near future. Very cool aircraft.

Hope they all come out alright and make it home to their loved ones.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Well that's good. Hopefully no major injuries and the rest are already at the bar/with family telling their tale! Did they do anything to strengthen up the fuselage for incidents like this? I know helicopters are strengthened for autorotation landings, but not sure if the Osprey is even capable of that.

a reply to: cmdrkeenkid

They're capable of running both engines off one powerplant, but as far as I know they aren't capable of autorotating, because of the location of the engines. There's some strengthening of the fuselage, but not as much as there is in a helicopter.

They're reporting that two are critical, but I haven't heard anything about the other injuries.

a reply to: Zaphod58

That's crazy. I never knew they could run both off one power plant. Learn something new every day!

a reply to: cmdrkeenkid

Yeah, they designed it so that the transmission ran to both engines, so in an emergency they could run both engines off the one, and it would provide enough power to get them safely down to the ground. They don't fly so well on one engine with the other shut down.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Off center thrust is a problem anytime. But in vertical flight. eeek.

a reply to: Phage

And with the engines being all the way out on the wingtip, it tends to be a lot worse in an Osprey than in other aircraft.

a reply to: Zaphod58

The Osprey is truly a impressive platform. After the bugs were worked out of it it has become very reliable platform. But with every new design comes risk.

HFD is reporting that one Marine died. Witnesses said there were three aircraft flying around the area, and all three came down like they were landing, but only two came back up. A few minutes later there was a column of black smoke coming from the area.

There was a meeting between 23 nations, including Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore. The landing was a demonstration for that meeting.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Yikes. So maybe more of a sales pitch to those other nations? Didn't Japan just get approval for a few Ospreys?

a reply to: cmdrkeenkid

Not so much a sales pitch, as it was a security conference. According to witness reports there were only three Osprey flying. It sounds like the majority of the landing was done via amphibian.

Yes, Japan just got approved by State to buy 17 aircraft.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: cmdrkeenkid

They're capable of running both engines off one powerplant, but as far as I know they aren't capable of autorotating, because of the location of the engines. There's some strengthening of the fuselage, but not as much as there is in a helicopter.

They're reporting that two are critical, but I haven't heard anything about the other injuries.

You CAN autorotate in a V-22, but it's a very, very slim margin of error, and I'm pretty sure the rule on the street is still "Don't try it". Better off trading altitude (if available) for airspeed and trying to glide (which has it's own associated shortcomings). Fortunately, the odds of losing two engines (or the transmission) in flight are long.

a reply to: _Del_

I can imagine the Osprey has a glide ratio somewhere between a brick and a... I got nothing. It's late. But you get my idea, I think.

a reply to: cmdrkeenkid

It's somewhat better than a DC-10. The DC-10 had a glide ratio between a brick, and a titanium anvil.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Beats the Rogallo wings I used to fly.