Osprey carrying White House entourage grounded following purported engine fire
November 27, 2024
A V-22 Osprey ferrying White House staff and officials has been grounded following unconfirmed reports of an engine fire – the same day three lawmakers sent a letter to US defence secretary Lloyd Austin recommending the grounding of the fleet to address ongoing safety concerns.
Part of the Marine Corps’ HMX-1 presidential helicopter fleet, the tiltrotor aircraft had been assigned to ferry personnel back from New York City to Washington DC following President Joe Biden’s attendance at an event in Staten Island.
AS reported by CBS News, one journalist aboard the craft allegedly witnessed flames emanating from beneath the Osprey’s right engine nacelle, with those aboard transferred to an alternative Osprey with minimal delay to their schedule. There was no indication that President Biden was onboard the affected aircraft.
The incident occurred on the same day three lawmakers sent a letter to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, requesting – as reported by the Alternative Press – that, “given the current concerns about the safety of the V-22, the aircraft should be grounded, and should not be deployed again until the platform’s significant deficiencies are fully addressed”.
The Osprey only relatively recently returned to US military service in March 2024 (albeit with certain restrictions), following a fatal crash off the coast of Japan in November that claimed the lives of eight crew members. Announcing the return to flying of the some 400 aircraft in US service, officials noted that all services had “worked together to ensure the aircraft is safe,” with the Naval Air Systems Command official explaining: “Maintenance and procedural changes have implemented to address the materiel failure that allow for a safe return to flight”.
