Poor Quality Control and Outdated Equipment at Steel Company Behind Failed Gears on Ill-Fated CV-22 Osprey
Story by Parth Satam • 13h •
The CV-22B Osprey crashed following a catastrophic failure in the left-hand Prop Rotor Gear Box, triggered by a crack in one of the high-speed pinion gears manufactured from a special steel alloy produced by Universal Stainless.
An independent investigation by Hunterbrook has narrowed down poor manufacturing processes and inadequate quality control as the causes of the catastrophic failure in the Prop Rotor Gear Box (PRGB), which led to the crash of a U.S. Air Force CV-22B Osprey on Nov. 29, 2023, off the coast of Japan, resulting in the deaths of eight personnel. These issues were traced back to Universal Stainless, the manufacturer of the alloy used in the gear that failed on the ill-fated Osprey.
Hunterbrook's investigation, which followed both the Accident Investigation Board (AIB) and the internal Safety Investigation Board (SIB) reports, found a troubling mix of "toxic" personnel management and "retaliatory" practices at the manufacturing site. These factors compromised the rigorous standards essential for aerospace components, favoring increased production volumes and "high profit margins" instead.
Previous accidents involving the Osprey were attributed to a recurring "hard clutch engagement," a result of a design flaw in the component. However, in the November 2023 crash, investigators pointed to the gearbox as the cause in their preliminary findings. At that time, while they had established the "what" of the failure, they were still probing the "how" and "why." The specific gear that failed was manufactured using a special steel alloy supplied by Universal Stainless.
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