The families of four of five Camp Pendleton-based Marines killed in a 2022 Osprey crash filed a wrongful death lawsuit Thursday against manufacturers of the aircraft.
The plaintiffs allege that the companies were aware of mechanical flaws in the vehicle that ultimately contributed to their loved ones’ deaths.
The lawsuit names Boeing, Bell Textron, Rolls Royce Corp. and Rolls-Royce North America as defendants, and argues that the companies failed to correct well-known issues that allegedly caused the June 8, 2022, crash near Glamis.
Killed in the crash were:
- Capt. John J. Sax, 33, from Placer
- Capt. Nicholas P. Losapio, 31, from Rockingham, N.H.
- Cpl. Nathan E. Carlson, 21, from Winnebago, Ill.
- Cpl. Seth D. Rasmuson, 21, from Johnson, Wyo.
- Lance Cpl. Evan A. Strickland, 19, from Valencia, N.M.
All but Losapio’s families are plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Sax is the son of former Major League ballplayer Steve Sax.
According to the complaint filed in San Diego federal court, the aircraft, dubbed Swift 11, suffered a “hard-clutch engagement” during flight. The mechanical failure “results in severe damage to the drive system components on the affected side.”
The lawsuit also alleges the Osprey’s “interconnect drive system” was known to be flawed and didn’t meet government safety specifications.
A Marine Corps investigation released last year cleared the pilots and crew of wrongdoing, concluding instead that a “dual hard-clutch engagement” caused the crash.
Attorneys representing the families say Osprey accidents have resulted in 62 deaths. That includes 2023 incidents – the deaths of three Marines in Australia and eight U.S. Air Force crewmen in Japan.
They also say six hard clutch engagement incidents have occurred since the June 8, 2022 crash.
“As we approach Memorial Day weekend, we cannot help but think of the families of our service members who have lost their lives, not in combat, but in training exercises here at home,” said attorney Timothy Loranger.
“Too many service members such as the Marines onboard Swift 11 have perished due to the negligence and systemic failures of manufacturers of military aircraft and other equipment. For years Bell-Boeing and others have asserted that this aircraft and all of its systems are safe, yet the facts keep telling a different story.”
– City News Service