Military
Bravery of crew, tragic end of Marine who drowned also detailed in investigation report
By Gretel C. Kovach | 11:25 p.m. June 30, 2015
gretel.kovach@utsandiego.com
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The MV-22 Osprey shortly before it hit the water Oct. 1, 2014 in the Arabian Sea, during a deadly mishap that inspired safety changes.



An MV-22 Osprey crashes into the Arabian Sea on Oct. 1, 2014 during a deadly mishap that inspired safety changes. (U.S. Marine Corps photo/released.)

The V-22 Osprey that crashed into the Arabian Sea last year was doomed on take-off because it was accidentally started in maintenance mode, Marine Corps investigators concluded. Despite a routine hover initially over ship deck, the errant mission system selection and a design flaw in the tiltrotor aircraft, since corrected, deprived the engines of enough flight power.

Cpl. Jordan Spears, a crew chief who bailed out and was lost at sea after the Osprey hit the water on Oct. 1, 2014, was the first American killed in action during Operation Inherent Resolve, the campaign against the Islamic State group of militants in Iraq and Syria.

During more than 10 minutes struggling at the controls as the Osprey dipped in and out of the water, the pilots dumped most of their fuel. They were able to fly the disabled aircraft back to the amphibious assault ship Makin Island for a safe landing. But the MV-22B, which was submerged about four feet at one point in corrosive saltwater, required replacement engines and other parts costing more than $1.5 million.

The Marine command investigation also cited the pilots and crew for not strictly following start-up procedures that could have prevented the deadly mishap, a lack of warning to them about newly discovered hazards of flying the Osprey in maintenance mode, and the potential fatigue of the sergeant who unintentionally initiated the wrong system setting, according to the report obtained by The San Diego Union-Tribune through a Freedom of Information Act request. ... In its most heartrending passages, the 183-page document details the bravery of the Osprey pilots who refused to abandon their ailing airship, the tragic last moments before Spears sank under the weight of his bullet-proof armor, a life preserver that wouldn’t inflate, and the fruitless search for his body.