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No matches found.Legislation aims to ‘set the record straight' about Osprey crash
This story was updated at 12:20 p.m.
Connie Gruber was speechless Friday when she heard that legislation introduced this week declares that the fatal April 8, 2000, MV-22 Osprey crash in Marana, Ariz. was not a result of aircrew human factors or pilot error.
Gruber’s husband was the co-pilot of that flight.
The crash, which killed 19 Marines including pilot Lt. Col. John A. Brow and Maj. Brooks S. Gruber, occurred during a training mission as part of a test phase to determine the aircraft’s operational suitability for the Marine Corps, according to a release from Rep. Walter B. Jones, R-NC.
Jones introduced the legislation.
“The evidence shows that the fatal factor in the crash was the aircraft’s lack of a Vortex Ring State warning system and the pilots’ lack of critical training regarding the extreme dangers of VRS onset in the Osprey,” Jones said in a release about the legislation.
Investigators initially ruled that pilot error was the cause of the crash.
The legislation, H. Res. 698, is meant to set the record straight about the crash and honor the pilots, according to the release.
“My heart is just beating right now because … Anything that has to do with the Osprey is very personal to our family and it will be forever more. We want it to succeed but obviously we’re happy … for the congressman to be speaking on the behalf of these men, it’s a very good feeling for us,” said Connie Gruber.
Jones attended Maj. Gruber’s memorial service and the dedication of the Brooks S. Gruber Bridge, located on Henderson drive, Connie Gruber said.
“I’ve always said that my husband and these men, they couldn’t speak for themselves and I appreciate how the congressman has stepped up to the plate. No matter what, he’s been willing to speak on their behalf,” she said.
The Marines who died that April night were “Osprey pioneers,” the pilot’s widow said.
“They have an endearing place in the history of Marine Corps’ aviation because of their life sacrifice. They introduced this aircraft and because of their life sacrifices, the Osprey of today is safe for the pilot, the crew and their passengers,” she said. “That is their legacy and, obviously, we’re proud of that and we respect it.”
Rep. Walter B. Jones has introduced legislation expressing that the April 8, 2000, MV-22 Osprey crash in Marana, Ariz. was not a result of aircrew human factors or pilot error.
The crash, which killed 19 Marines and was piloted by Lt. Col. John A. Brow and Maj. Brooks S. Gruber, occurred during a training mission as part of a test phase to determine the aircraft’s operational suitability for the Marine Corps, according to a release from Jones’ office.
The legislation, H. Res. 698, is meant to set the record straight about the crash and honor the pilots, according to the release.
“The evidence shows that the fatal factor in the crash was the aircraft’s lack of a Vortex Ring State warning system and the pilots’ lack of critical training regarding the extreme dangers of VRS onset in the Osprey,” Jones said in the release.
| "Flagrantly violated"? "Disregarded basic airmanship"? Talk about "revisionist history"! Let me guess, GJB, you are either an engineer on this failed platform or you have some kind of monetary interest in defending it at the cost of the reputation of two exceptional pilots. The CURRENT version of the V-22 may have the qualities you blew out your butt in your comment but the simple fact is the EARLIER versions had flaws in its design. There is nothing “terrible” about this as it is expected that aircraft built on newer ideas will encounter problems. There is a reason that prototypes are test flown prior to delivery. There is also a reason that things were changed, adjusted and modified in the follow on versions of the V-22. To claim it was perfect right out of the box is farcical at best. I suggest you do some research into the version that crashed in AZ, the various problems encountered prior to this accident and the changes that were made as a result. You might, just MIGHT, pop your head out of your butt long enough to recognize there were problems with the platform that no pilot would be able to address regardless of their skills. Your comments to the contrary only demonstrate your obvious bias and either gross ignorance on your part or a blatant attempt to save your credibility at the expense of that of two dead men. Either way, your comments are disgusting. |
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| Me - Nov 21, 2011 01:22:44 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Walter Jones is quite mistaken and engaging in revisionist history. The fact is that the results that night in Marana would have been the same regardless of the rotary winged platform being flown. Brow and Gruber flagrantly violated NATOPS, the 800/40 rule that all rotary winged pilots were trained to at the time, lost situational awareness and disregarded basic airmanship. The V-22, when properly flown, has a greater margin of safety regarding VRS than any rotary winged platform in the inventory. Recovery from VRS, when encountered, is accomplished much quicker and easier in the V-22 than in any rotary winged platform in the inventory. Whether or not HR698 gets passed, and it shouldn't, the facts remain the same, pilot error. |
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| GJB - Aug 07, 2009 09:48:12 AM | Remove Comment |
