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Officer admits asking Marines to falsify Osprey records, official says

Osprey
The MV-22 Osprey was involved in two fatal crashes that killed 23 Marines last year  

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The commanding officer of the Marine Corps' Osprey squadron has admitted to his superior officers he asked Marines to falsify the aircraft's maintenance records, a senior Marine official told CNN on Friday.

An investigation is being conducted into allegations that Lt. Col. O. Fred Leberman, 45, ordered maintenance records for the aircraft to be embellished. He had already been relieved of his duties as the commanding officer of the V-22 squadron.

Investigators began interviews Thursday at Leberman's home base at the Marine Corps Air Station in New River, North Carolina.

Twenty-three Marines were killed in two crashes last year of the Osprey, a revolutionary aircraft designed to take off and land like a helicopter, but fly like a plane.

The Marines planned a news conference later Friday to release some of the information that sparked the investigation, which was launched after an anonymous letter and audiotape were received January 12 by the office of the Navy secretary, defense officials said.

Officials also planned to announce Friday they found the latest Osprey crash, in December, was caused by a mechanical problem.

Investigators have already revealed the earlier accident in April was caused by pilot error.

Marine investigators are attempting to determine whether records were falsified, and if so, whether they had any implications on the safety of the Osprey.

All of the Marines' remaining eight Ospreys are grounded during investigations.

The Marine Corps has invested heavily in the aircraft and plans to use the Osprey to replace an aging fleet of CH-46 combat-assault helicopters that have been used since the Vietnam War.

More than $10 billion has been invested so far, and the Pentagon plans to spend another $30 billion to manufacture 458 of the aircraft, 360 of which will go to the Marine Corps.



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RELATED SITES:
Osprey On-Line
U.S. Marine Corps


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