A military aircraft crash that killed eight American troops last year was the pilot’s fault, according to an Air Force investigation released Thursday.
The CV-22B Osprey was flying in a military operation off the coast of Japan when it crashed — one of four deadly Osprey crashes in the past two years.
According to the Air Force investigation, Maj. Jeff Hoernemann, who was piloting the craft, ignored multiple warnings that he should land.
The Air Force said a pinion gear — a critical part of the proprotor gearbox — failed leading up to the crash. The failure triggered a warning system in the Osprey’s cockpit, which eventually blared with six warnings throughout the flight.
Investigators argued that each of those warnings was a chance for Hoernemann to land, but he ignored each opportunity. During the final minutes of the flight, the aircraft co-pilot suggested identifying the closest airfield for a possible landing. However, Hoernemann disregarded the idea.
Despite the extensive investigation, the Air Force was unable to determine exactly why the pinion failed. The investigators blamed the Pentagon for not sharing safety data on the possible dangers of the risk.
Conley also said Hoernemann’s commitment to completing the mission would have been encouraged in the military.
“To a degree, it’s a way of life here. I mean, we want people in this command that are biased towards ‘yes,’ biased towards getting the mission done,” Conley told the AP.
The crash killed Hoernemann, Maj. Eric Spendlove, Maj. Luke Unrath, Capt. Terrell Brayman, Tech. Sgt. Zachary Lavoy, Staff Sgt. Jake Turnage, Senior Airman Brian Johnson, and Staff Sgt. Jacob Galliher.
With News Wire Services
