The Department of Defense has restricted the operations of a subset of V-22 Ospreys due to safety concerns relating to the aircraft’s input quill assembly.
DOD did not disclose how many V-22s across the U.S. Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy are affected by the time limit but noted that aircraft will return to flight status once the component is replaced, USMC said Thursday.
In a fleet bulletin, the military branches announced that the recommendation to ground the tiltrotor was based on ongoing engineering analysis on hard clutch engagement events, which have been increasingly occurring across the fleet.
Hard clutch engagements happen “when the clutch, driven by the engine, releases from the rotor system and suddenly reengages.”
These events cause aircraft to lurch, potentially causing damage to the plane.
The fleet bulletin was released based on the recommendation from the V-22 Joint Program Office.
