All killed in a military accident
The Canadian Press – June 9, 2022 / 09:46 | History: 371410
Photo: The Canadian Press
All five Marines aboard an Osprey were killed when the plane crashed in the California desert near the Arizona border, the Marine Corps said Thursday, a day after the crash.
No additional details were provided in the Marine Corps statement.
The MV-22B Osprey crashed at 12:25 p.m. Wednesday during training in a remote area of Imperial County near the Glamis community, about 115 miles east of San Diego.
The plane was based at Pendleton Field with Marine Aircraft Group 39 and was part of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing based at Marine Corps Miramar Air Station in San Diego, said Major Mason Englehart, spokesman for the ala.
The Osprey is a hybrid aircraft and helicopter that has been criticized for its safety record. It can take off and land like a helicopter, but travel like a turboprop.
The aircraft versions are piloted by the Marine Corps, the Navy and the Air Force.
Prior to Wednesday’s crash, Osprey crashes had caused 46 deaths, the Los Angeles Times reported.
More recently, four Marines were killed when a Marine Corps Osprey crashed on March 18 near a Norwegian city in the Arctic Circle while participating in a NATO exercise. In 2017, three Marines were killed when their MV-22B Osprey crashed in Queensland, Australia. In 2015, one Marine was killed and 21 were injured when his MV-22 Osprey caught fire during a “strong landing” in Hawaii.
The Osprey is a joint project of Bell Helicopter Textron and Boeing.
Its development was marked by fatal crashes, including an April 2000 crash in Arizona that killed 19 Marines.