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USMC Blames Fatal MV-22 Crash In Norway On Pilot Error
Aviation Week 08/15/2022
Author: Steve Trimble

A five-month investigation released on Aug. 15 by the U.S. Marine Corps blames pilot error for a crash of a Bell Boeing MV-22B Block C Osprey that killed all four crew members in Norway on March 18.

The pilot or co-pilot deviated from the planned route, entered a valley at low level and then banked the aircraft at angles far beyond the MV-22B’s limit for maintaining altitude, the final report concludes.

The investigation report rules out weather and equipment failure as a cause of the accident. Although bad weather disrupted a search-and-rescue attempt by a Norwegian helicopter crew three hours after the accident, a recovered video from a GoPro device found at the crash scene shows the aircraft was flying in clear weather at the time of the accident, the report says.

The presence of the unauthorized GoPro device on the aircraft prompted the investigators to make a recommendation for an equipment change on the MV-22B. The crew may have been flying more aggressively than necessary for the benefit of the GoPro recording. The MV-22B should be equipped with an authorized video recording system in the cockpit, which can be reviewed in flight debriefings to discourage unauthorized or unsafe maneuvers.

“If the unauthorized employment of a video recording device can be construed as negatively influencing aircrew to make bad decisions, then the authorized employment of an institutional video recording device may encourage sound decisions and positive safety outcomes,” the report says.

The crew, which was participating in Exercise Cold Response, deviated from the flight plan at 4:22 p.m. to enter the Gratadalen Valley. The aircraft descended to 557 ft. above ground level and at a speed of 259 KCAS, or 39 knots faster than the VMM-261 squadron’s default planning speed for low-altitude flying.

The investigators could not determine whether the pilot or co-pilot was flying at the time of the crash. Within seconds of entering the valley, the pilot banked left at 68 deg., then over-corrected with an 89-deg. bank to the right, the report says. The MV-22B loses altitude rapidly at bank angles over 60 degrees. During the 89-deg. turn, telemetry data shows the aircraft was descending at a rate of about 4,000 ft. per minute, the report says.

The aircraft crashed into the eastern wall of the Gratadalen Valley about 4 sec. after 4:23 p.m., with photographic evidence suggesting that all four crew members were killed on impact.

The crew members were Capt. Matthew Tomkiewicz, the aircraft commander; Capt. Ross Reynolds, the co-pilot; Gunnery Sgt. James Speedy, the aerial observer; and Cpl. Jacob Moore, the crew chief.

Are you saying intentional pilot action?

Yeah but it's still pilot error - the pilot's error being thinking that they could get away with it.

Yeah but I meant "get away with it" not just in relation to the culture/punishment but also in relation to being able to perform the maneuvers he did without did_dieing.

On a more technical note, do we believe that going to 68 deg. left bank to 89 degrees right was in fact "overcorrecting" in the sense it was unintentional, or something more intentional?

Obviously this is parlour talk but it seems to me that a pilot with any significant level of skill/experience would not accidentally overshoot more than 100% trying to correct an over-banked condition.