The families of five Marines killed in a June 2022 Osprey military vehicle training mission have sued the aircraft makers, which includes Rolls Royce and Boeing
Four of the devastated families of five Marines killed in a horror Osprey helicopter crash have sued the aircraft manufacturers – including Boeing.
A lawsuit filed in relation to a crash in southern California in June 2022 has seen Rolls Royce, Bell Textron and Boeing all named as producers of the V-22 Osprey. The plane is capable of taking off both vertically like a helicopter and flying like an airplane by changing the angle of its propellers.
But a clutch problem during a take-off and a failure in the right engine in June 2022 led to the death of five Marines during an Osprey test flight. The aircraft was sent out of control over Glamis, California.
A military investigation following the crash found it had happened due to an “unpreventable” mechanical failure. There was no error on the part of pilots, crew or maintenance personnel, the report found.
Capt. John J. Sax, 33, from Placer, California-Capt. Nicholas P. Losapio, 31, from Rockingham, New Hampshire-Cpl. Nathan E. Carlson, 21, from Winnebago, Illinois-Cpl. Seth D. Rasmuson, 21, from Johnson, Wyoming-Lance Cpl. Evan A. Strickland, 19, from Valencia, New Mexico were killed in the crash.
WInser Baum law firm has filed a lawsuit against the companies behind the aircraft on behalf of four families out of the five deceased Marines, ABC News reports. A press release from the law firm read: “The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the families of Sax, Carlson, Rasmuson, and Strickland, accuses the companies of negligence, negligent misrepresentation, and fraudulent misrepresentation for failing to make ‘truthful statements to the government and to service members about the design, operation, and safety of V-22 Osprey aircraft.”
The US military briefly grounded the Osprey aircraft pending investigations
A separate statement from the wife of Capt. John Sax, Amber Sax, read: “John taught me to be brave, both through his life and his death. What happened to him, Nick, Nathan, Seth, and Evan on June 8th, 2022, should have never happened. Our military members deserve equipment and aircraft free of failures, especially failures that can cause the loss of their lives.”
In August 2023, three Marines were killed during another Osprey training exercise. The military grounded all the aircraft as a precaution and to carry out investigations on the vehicles. Said ban has since been lifted as of early 2024. Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, confirmed there were new protocols in place for protecting Marines on Osprey flights.
He said: “I have high confidence that the protocols we’re putting in place will avoid a catastrophic event like this happening again in the future.” Winser Baum attorney Timothy Loranger added: “Despite ᴀssurances from companies like Bell-Boeing regarding the safety of these aircraft and their systems, the facts continue to raise concerns and reveal a starkly different reality.
A Boeing representative said: “We are unable to comment on pending litigation.” A representative from Rolls-Royce said: “We are not commenting at this time.”
