() – Three US Marines were killed and several others seriously injured after an Osprey aircraft crashed during military exercises in Australia, officials said Sunday.
Of the 23 Marines on board the MV-22B Osprey aircraft, three died while five others were taken to Royal Darwin Hospital in a serious condition, Marine Rotational Force-Darwin said in a statement Sunday.
The incident on Melville Island in Australia took place at 9:30 am local time.
“The Marines on board the aircraft were flying in support of the Predators Run military exercise. Recovery efforts are ongoing,” the statement read, adding that “the cause of the incident is under investigation.”
Earlier, Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said some of the other Marines were being treated at the scene.
“We are working incredibly hard and as quickly as we can to make sure people can get treatment,” Fyles said.
Two US Marine Osprey aircraft left Darwin and flew towards the Tiwi Islands, about 80 kilometres away, on Sunday morning, said Northern Territory Police Commissioner Michael Murphy. One of the aircraft crashed on Melville Island, he added.
The incident took place during the Predator’s Run 2023 military exercises, an Australian Department of Defence spokesman said.
It’s the last one Fatal accident involving an Osprey aircraftand over the years there have been numerous reported accidents involving Osprey military aircraft.
In 2022, five U.S. Marines died after their MV-22B Osprey aircraft crashed during a training mission near Glamis, California. The same year, four U.S. service members died when their Osprey crashed during NATO training exercises in Norway.
The incident comes just a month after four Australian Army crew members died after an MRH-90 Taipan helicopter crashed into the sea near Hamilton Island off Australia’s east coast during an exercise that was part of joint military maneuvers with the US.
Previous Osprey aircraft crashes, according to reports and U.S. Department of Defense press releases:
July 20, 1992: Seven people die during testing when an Osprey crashes in Virginia.
April 8, 2000: A training crash in Arizona kills 19 Marines. The crash is blamed on pilot error, with investigators concluding that the pilot attempted to land too quickly and at too steep an angle, causing a stall.
December 11, 2000: Four Marines are killed when an Osprey crashes in North Carolina. The accident was later blamed on problems with a hydraulic part and a software glitch in the plane’s computer system.
April 8, 2010: A US Air Force Osprey crashes in southern Afghanistan, killing three US service members and a civilian employee.
April 11, 2012: Two US personnel killed in Osprey crash in Morocco.
June 13, 2012: An Air Force CV-22 Osprey crashes during a routine training mission north of Navarre, Florida, injuring five.
Watch two Black Hawk helicopters collide during military training
May 17, 2015: A Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey crashes at Bellows Training Range on Oahu, Hawaii, leaving two Marines dead.
December 13, 2016: An MV-22B Osprey crash-lands in shallow water off Okinawa, Japan, injuring two.
August 5, 2017: An MV-22B Osprey crashes off the coast of Australia, leaving three Marines dead
September 28, 2017: A Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey crashes in Syria, injuring two service members.
March 18, 2022: Four U.S. service members are killed when the MV-22 Osprey they were traveling in crashes during a NATO training exercise in Norway.
June 8, 2022: Five US Marines are dead after an MV-22 Osprey crashes during a training mission near Glamis, California.
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