Families of Marines Who Died in 2022, Accident File Process

FFamily members of four of the five U.S. Marines who died in the 2022 Osprey V-22 crash have filed a wrongful death lawsuit accusing Boeing and two other companies of being negligent with the aircraft’s design and safety.

The plaintiffs are suing Bell Trexton, Boeing Co., Rolls Royce Corp. and Rolls Royce North America to demand answers and accountability in connection with the aircraft’s failure. In June 2022, the military, who were part of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 364 from Camp Pendleton, were facing a routine fight when their Osprey, Swift 11, had a mechanical failure known as a double clutch coupling outside of Glamis, California.

The complaint, filed in Federal Court on Thursday, alleges that the failure was due to Osprey’s “lack of compliance”. He also says there were no previous indications that a sudden clutch engagement would occur. The plaintiffs claim they suffered damages in excess of $75,000 and have accused the defendants of nine counts, ranging from breach of contract to fraudulent misrepresentation.

The crash killed John J. Sax, 33, of Placer, California; Nicholas P. Losapio, 31, of Rockingham, New Hampshire; Nathan E. Carlson, 21, of Winnebago, Illinois; Seth D. Rasmuson, 21, of Johnson, Wyoming; and Evan A. Strickland, 19, of Valencia, New Mexico.

“As we approach Memorial Day weekend, we can’t help but think about the families of our service members who lost their lives, not in combat, but in training exercises here at home. Many military personnel, like the Marines aboard the Swift 11, have died due to the negligence and systemic failures of manufacturers of military aircraft and other equipment,” said Timothy Loranger, senior partner at Wisner Baum. “For years, Bell-Boeing and others have asserted that this aircraft and all of its systems are safe, but the facts continue to tell a different story.”

The US military temporarily suspended the use of Osprey V-22 aircraft after a crash last November caused the deaths of eight US airmen off the coast of Japan. However, the Osprey V-22 was considered safe enough fly again in March. In response, the House Oversight Committee, which he was investigating the safety of the Department of Defense’s Osprey program, noted that the Department had not provided the committee with answers about the safety of the aircraft.

Ospreys are a unique military aircraft in that they have dual piloting and vertical takeoff and landing properties, meaning they function similarly to helicopters and planes. The aircraft has been the target of much criticism, as more than 50 US military personnel have died in Osprey accidents. in the last 30 years. Since the 2022 crash, there have been six other incidents of difficult clutch engagement involving the Osprey, according to the complaint.

Ospreys do not have ejection seats or parachutes, which would aid crew evacuation in an emergency.

In the complaint, the plaintiffs allege that the aircraft “failed and continues to fail to meet government safety and reliability specifications” and that it is unsafe for use in vertical or horizontal mode.

“There is a level of responsibility expected when you manufacture, design and engineer aircraft that carry human lives. These Ospreys can carry more than 20 military personnel, and each “near miss” or mishap must be recognized by the fact that it has the potential for more than 20 families to stand on the Dover runway watching a flag-draped coffin containing their loved ones. one,” said Amber Sax, wife of U.S. Marine Corps Capt. John Sax, who died in the crash. “This point needs to be understood – 20 families. One life lost is too many; 20 is unfathomable.”