The U.S. military said Wednesday it has temporarily grounded its entire Osprey fleet worldwide after a deadly crash last week off southwestern Japan.
The military said a preliminary investigation indicates a "potential material failure" caused the Nov. 29 accident, which killed eight American service members onboard a CV-22 Osprey aircraft.
The stand-down of Osprey aircraft of the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps will provide time and space for a thorough investigation to determine the causal factors and recommendations to ensure the fleet of tilt-rotor aircraft returns to operations, it said.
In the accident, a U.S. Air Force CV-22 assigned to the 353rd Special Operations Wing at Yokota Air Base in the western suburbs of Tokyo disappeared from radar off Yakushima Island and crashed into nearby waters.
