2000 Marana V-22 crash

On 8 April 2000, a V-22 Osprey aircraft operated by the United States Marine Corps crashed during a night training exercise at Marana Regional Airport near Tucson, Arizona. The crash killed all 19 U.S. Marines on board and intensified debate about the reliability of the Osprey.

It was later determined that the aircraft had entered an aerodynamic condition known as vortex ring state, which resulted from a high rate of descent compounded by pilot error. As a result of the investigation findings, the V-22 was subject to further redesign, and eventually entered operational service in 2007.

Accident

On 8 April 2000, a V-22 Osprey, callsign Nighthawk 72, being flown by Major Brooks Gruber and Lieutenant Colonel John Brow was conducting a nighttime training exercise simulating a combatant evacuation at Marana Northwest Regional Airport in Marana, Arizona about twenty miles northwest of Tucson. The V-22 was carrying 15 passengers, all U.S. Marines from 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, and was flying in a formation of four V-22s when the accident occurred. Two of the V-22s in the formation were actually carrying out the exercise while the other two were observing their performance.

As they approached the landing site, the pilots of the mishap V-22 realized they were 2000 ft above the required descent altitude and reduced power. As Lt. Colonel Brow maneuvered the aircraft to land, the Osprey entered an erratic roll, turning on its back and slamming into the ground nose first. All 19 Marines aboard the aircraft were killed. The second V-22 also made a hard landing but suffered no fatalities.