Comer Statement on DoD Decision to Lift Osprey Grounding Order - United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability

WASHINGTON— House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) issued the following statement after the Department of Defense (DoD) announced it is removing the grounding order on the V-22 Osprey aircraft on March 7, 2024:

“DoD is lifting the Osprey grounding order despite not providing the Oversight Committee and the American people answers about the safety of this aircraft. The House Oversight Committee has yet to receive adequate information requested from DoD as part of our ongoing investigation launched months ago into the safety and performance of the Osprey aircraft. Serious concerns remain such as accountability measures put in place to prevent crashes, a general lack of transparency, how maintenance and operational upkeep is prioritized, and how DoD assesses risks. We will continue to rigorously investigate the DoD’s Osprey program to attain answers to our questions on behalf of American taxpayers and protect U.S. servicemembers defending our nation,” said Chairman Comer.

The Oversight Committee has done extensive examination of the Osprey program in the past and additional reports from government watchdogs revealed ongoing problems in the Osprey program. Over the last 30 years, there have been over a dozen Osprey crashes that have killed over 50 U.S. servicemembers. In December 2023, Chairman Comer launched an investigation into the safety of DoD’s Osprey program to ensure the Department of Defense is taking the steps necessary to protect the lives of U.S. servicemembers and bring transparency and accountability to the program.