Incident Overview
On April 9, 2010, a CV-22B with Tail Number (TIN) 06-0031 impacted the ground near Qalat, Afghanistan. The aircraft was operating as the lead in a three-ship formation on a short route to a selected landing zone. The mishap resulted in the deaths of the pilot, flight engineer, and two passengers. The copilot, tail scanner, and fourteen other passengers sustained injuries of varying severity.
Flight Dynamics and Impact
The crew anticipated favorable weather conditions based on regional forecasts but encountered an approximately 17-knot tailwind within ten nautical miles of the landing zone. The pilot initiated a nonstandard approach profile, beginning deceleration maneuvers later than planned. During the transition to helicopter mode, the aircraft was traveling at more than twice the intended speed. In the final seconds of flight, the CV-22B experienced an unanticipated rapid descent and struck the ground at 75 knots, short of the target area.
Upon impact, the landing gear was down and locked, with nacelles nearly vertical. The aircraft rolled on its gear for approximately 45 feet before the nose gear collapsed. The nose section struck a natural drainage ditch, causing the fuselage to flip tail-over-nose. Both wings separated from the fuselage, and the left wing caught fire. The total loss of the aircraft, equipment, and ammunition exceeded $87 million.
Investigation Findings
The Board President was unable to determine a single cause by clear and convincing evidence. However, ten factors were determined to have substantially contributed to the accident. These included inadequate weather planning, a poorly executed low-visibility approach, the presence of a tailwind, a challenging visual environment, crew task saturation, copilot distraction, negative transfer from previous aircraft experience, pressure to succeed on the first combat mission, and an unanticipated high rate of descent accompanied by engine power loss. Several critical components, including the flight incident recorder and right engine, were not recovered for analysis.