Maj. Jeffrey Hoernemann, 32, of Andover, Minn., was a CV-22 instructor pilot and officer in charge of training. (U.S. Air Force)
TOKYO — The Air Force has identified the seventh CV-22B Osprey crew member recovered after the tiltrotor crashed off southwestern Japan with eight aboard.
The body of Maj. Jeff Hoernemann, 32, of Andover, Minn., was discovered over the weekend by divers from the Navy and the Air Force’s 320th Special Tactics Squadron, according to an Air Force Special Command news release.
The service announced the discovery Sunday but did not publicly disclose that it was Hoernemann’s body until Monday, after his family was notified.
Hoernemann was a CV-22 instructor pilot and chief of weapons tactics assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo.
One of the Osprey’s eight crew members — Maj. Eric Spendlove, 36, of St. George, Utah — remains missing nearly two weeks after the Osprey went down off the coast of Yakushima Island during a training mission.
U.S. and Japanese divers are continuing their search, according to the news release.
“The main priority is returning our Airmen home and taking care of their family members,” the command wrote. “Support to, and the privacy of, the families and loved ones impacted by this incident remains AFSOC’s top priority.”
The eight airmen killed in the crash of a CV-22B Osprey on Nov. 29, 2023. Top row, left to right: Maj. Jeffrey Hoernemann, Maj. Eric Spendlove, Maj. Luke Unrath and Capt. Terrell Brayman. Bottom: Tech Sgt. Zachary Lavoy, Staff Sgt. Jake Turnage, Senior Airman Brian Johnson and Staff Sgt. Jake Galliher. (U.S. Air Force)
The body of Staff Sgt. Jake Galliher, 24, of Pittsfield, Mass., was found the day of the crash. Five more were discovered Dec. 4 along with the Osprey’s fuselage. The remains and wreckage were found about 100 feet below the surface.
Two were identified Dec. 5 as Maj. Luke Unrath, 34, of Riverside, Calif. and Tech Sgt. Zachary Lavoy, 33, of Oviedo, Fla.
Three more were identified Dec. 6 as Capt. Terrell Brayman, 32, of Pittsford, N.Y.; Staff Sgt. Jake Turnage, 25 of Kennesaw, Ga.; and Senior Airman Brian Johnson, 32, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
A preliminary investigation indicated that an equipment failure, rather than human error, was likely the crash’s cause, Air Force Special Operations Command said Dec. 6.
Since then, the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps have grounded their Osprey tiltrotor aircraft until the investigation determines the cause of the crash and recommendations are made to return the aircraft to service.
