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| Date: | Tuesday 22 August 2023 |
| Time: | 21:29 |
| Type: |  Bell-Boeing CV-22B Osprey |
| Owner/operator: | USAF |
| Registration: | 17-0077 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Melrose Air Force Range (MAFR), New Mexico -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | USAF AIB |
On 22 August 2023, at 2129:37 Mountain Standard Time (MST), while transitioning from a hover to forward flight following aerial gunnery training, the mishap aircraft (MA), a CV-22B, tail number 17-0077, impacted the ground with the landing gear retracted after losing power from the right engine. The incident occurred west of the Jockey impact area on Melrose Air Force Range (MAFR), New Mexico. The aircraft was assigned to the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon AFB, New Mexico, and was piloted by the mishap crew (MC) assigned to the 20th Special Operations Squadron. One member of the MC, Mishap Flight Engineer 1 (MFE1), was injured when he struck his head and was transported to a local civilian hospital for treatment and was subsequently released early the next morning. There were no fatalities or damage to civilian property and estimated cost of damage to the MA was $2,068,884.
The MC was completing a local training sortie in and around MAFR that consisted of support for a joint terminal attack controller (JTAC) team during a full mission profile, a periodic flight evaluation for Mishap Flight Engineer 2, and aerial gunnery recurrency training for MFE1. The MC departed Cannon AFB at 2008 MST, completed infiltration of the JTAC team then performed unilateral training before proceeding to Jockey. Following completion of aerial gunnery training at Jockey, the MC raised the landing gear and began a slow transition from a hover to forward flight. As MFE1, with significant slack in their night vision goggle (NVG) battery pack cable, moved to sit down in the Flight Engineer (FE) seat the right engine control lever (ECL) was moved from FLY to OFF, commanding the right engine to shut down. Without the power required to maintain flight, the MA descended towards the ground at a rate in excess of 1,200 feet per minute before impacting the ground. The MA slid on its belly across the ground over 360 ft before coming to a stop.
The Accident Investigation Board (AIB) President found by a preponderance of the evidence that the cause for the mishap is attributed to MFE1 unintentionally and unknowingly shutting down the right engine by his NVG battery cable looping over the knob of the right ECL and moving it from the FLY to OFF position while attempting to sit down in the FE seat. Additionally, the AIB President found by a preponderance of the evidence the following factors substantially contributed to the mishap: (1) Mishap Aircraft Commander failed to guard the ECLs, (2) Inattention of the aircrew during a critical phase of flight, (3) Failure of real-time risk assessment, and (4) Lack of procedural guidance.
Accident investigation:
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Sources:
USAF
Revision history:
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