[Francis McClobber]

The Osprey has had its share of technical problems - just like every other aircraft in the inventory. The H-1 rotors had this annoying habit of flying of in negative g conditions (mast bumping). The H-46 back end kept falling off in flight. The H-53 tail boom would fall off in flight. The list can go on and on.

The crash that killed most those Marines in Pheonix(?) was a result of pilot error, not technical shortcomings fo the aircraft. Vortex ring state is a common phenomenon to all rotary wing aircraft and the pilots who crashed failed to keep their AC out of the state.

The Osprey has gone through very rigorous operational evaluation testing and passed. It's ready for the fleet.

[hattend]

BTTT

[SICSEMPERTYRANNUS]

Vortex ring state is a common phenomenon to all rotary wing aircraft and the pilots who crashed failed to keep their AC out of the state.

I wonder if they have learned how to induce vortex ring state, for traning purposes, on the V-22. From what I heard vortex ring state on the V-22 had not been experienced before the accident (no NATOPS procedures). Unfortunately and as they say, the manual is written in blood.

SIC