Massachusetts lawmakers call on the Pentagon to ground the Osprey again until crash causes are fixed

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Three Massachusetts lawmakers are pressing Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to ground the V-22 Osprey aircraft again until the military can fix the root causes of multiple recent accidents, including a deadly crash in Japan. Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and Rep. Lloyd Neal say in a Thursday letter to Austin it’s misguided to allow limited flight status for the Ospreys, which fly like airplanes and land like helicopters. The lawmakers say the Defense Department should make service members’ safety “a top priority.” They say the Ospreys should be grounded until the accidents’ causes are identified and “permanent fixes” are in place. The Pentagon hasn’t confirmed whether it received the letter.