The families of five Marines who died when their V-22 Osprey helicopter crashed during a 2022 training exercise in Imperial County have sued the aircraft's designers and manufacturers, alleging deceptive practices and systemic failures.
Bell Textron, Boeing and Rolls Royce failed to make “truthful statements to the government and service members regarding the design, operation and safety of the V-22 Osprey aircraft,” the complaint alleges.
A military investigation into the crash concluded that the pilots and maintenance personnel were not at fault. The report said a clutch disengaged and then reengaged, damaging the plane's transmission and causing engine failure.
“Bell-Boeing has been aware of hard clutch problems in the V-22 Ospreys since 2010,” said Timothy Loranger, a Marine Corps veteran and attorney representing the families of those killed in the crash. “But here we are, more than a dozen years later, and that knowledge has not resulted in a solution, and the malfunction has continued to cost lives.”
The Marines killed in the crash were Cpl. Nathan E. Carlson, 21, of Winnebago, Illinois, Tiltrotor crew chief; Capt. Nicholas P. Losapio, 31, of Rockingham, NH, MV-22B pilot; Corporal Seth D. Rasmuson, 21, of Johnson, Wyoming, Tiltrotor crew chief; Capt. John J. Sax, 33, of Placer, California, MV-22B pilot; and Lance Cpl. Evan A. Strickland, 19, of Valencia, New Mexico, Tiltrotor crew chief. They were assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 364, under the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Clockwise from top left: Captain John Sax; Lance soldier. Evan Strickland Captain Nicolás Losapio; Corporal Nathan Carlson; Corporal Seth Rasmuson.
(Courtesy of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing)
The lawsuit claims six more similar incidents have occurred since the June 2022 accident.
The Osprey has had a troubled recent history, including two fatal crashes last year: a crash in Australia that left three service members dead and another in Japan that killed eight.
The US military grounded its Osprey fleet in late 2023 after the crash in Japan, and Congress launched an investigation into the Osprey program shortly after.
In March 2024, US and Japanese forces resumed Osprey flights after completing maintenance and training programs.
Boeing has been in trouble for its planes malfunctioning on commercial flights, and now it also faces scrutiny as one of three manufacturing and design companies involved in the lawsuit.
A Bell Textron spokesman declined to comment. Representatives for Boeing and Rolls Royce did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
“We want to be sure that these components have been successfully redesigned, tested and made safe,” Amber Sax, wife of Captain John Sax, one of the deceased, said in a statement.
“The importance of addressing this cannot be understated,” he said. “This is not just about repairing a machine, but ensuring that no other family has to endure this loss again.”
