Lawmakers press Pentagon to re-ground Ospreys until safety issues can be addressed

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Three lawmakers are asking Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to consider re-grounding the military’s fleet of V-22 Ospreys until solutions can be put in place to address safety and design issues identified by The Associated Press in its recent in-depth investigation of the aircraft’s accident record. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, and Rep. Richard Neal, all of Massachusetts, wrote to Austin 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, which flies like both a helicopter and an airplane, has been in more than 21 major accidents.