Three US Marines were killed and several others were seriously injured after an Osprey plane crashed during military exercises in Australia, officials said on Sunday.
Of the 23 Marines aboard the MV-22B Osprey aircraft, three died while another five were taken to the Royal Darwin Hospital in serious condition, the Marine Rotational Force-Darwin said in a statement on Sunday.
The incident on Melville Island in Australia happened at 9:30 a.m. local time.
“The Marines on board the aircraft were flying in support of the military exercise Predators Run. Recovery efforts are ongoing,” the statement said, adding that “the cause of the incident is under investigation.”
Earlier, Northern Territory Premier Natasha Fyles said some of the other Marines were being treated at the scene.
“We’re working incredibly hard and as fast as we can to make sure people can be treated,” Fyles said.
Two US Navy Osprey planes left Darwin on Sunday morning and headed for the Tiwi Islands, about 80 kilometers away, said Michael Murphy, Australia’s Northern Territory Police Commissioner. One of the planes crashed on Melville Island, he added.
The incident happened during the Predator’s Run 2023 military exercise, a spokesman for Australia’s Ministry of Defense said.
It is the most recent fatal accident involving an Osprey aircraft, and numerous accidents involving Osprey military aircraft have been reported over the years.
In 2022, five US Marines died after their MV-22B Osprey aircraft crashed near Glamis, California, during a training mission. That same year, four US soldiers were killed when their Osprey crashed during a NATO exercise in Norway.
The incident comes just a month after four Australian Army crew members were killed after an MRH-90 Taipan helicopter crashed into the sea near Hamilton Island off Australia’s east coast during an exercise as part of joint military exercises with the US
According to CNN reports and US Department of Defense press releases, previous Osprey aircraft crashed:
July 20, 1992: An Osprey crashes in Virginia, killing seven during testing.
April 8, 2000: A training accident in Arizona kills 19 Marines. The crash is attributed to pilot error, with investigators concluding that the pilot attempted to land too fast and at too steep an angle, resulting in a stall.
December 11, 2000: Four Marines are killed in an Osprey crash in North Carolina. The crash was later traced to problems with a hydraulic part and a software anomaly in the aircraft’s computer system.
April 8, 2010: A US Air Force Osprey crashes in southern Afghanistan, killing three US servicemen and a civilian employee.
April 11, 2012: Two US soldiers are killed in an Osprey accident in Morocco.
June 13, 2012: An Air Force CV-22 Osprey crashes during a routine training mission north of Navarre, Fla., injuring five people.
May 17, 2015: A Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey crashes at Bellows Training Range on Oahu, Hawaii, killing two Marines.
December 13, 2016: An MV-22B Osprey lands in shallow water off Okinawa, Japan, injuring two.
August 5, 2017: An MV-22B Osprey crashes off the coast of Australia, killing three Marines
September 28, 2017: A Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey crashes in Syria, injuring two soldiers.
March 18, 2022: Four US soldiers are killed when the MV-22 Osprey they were traveling in crashes during NATO exercises in Norway.
June 8, 2022: Five US Marines are killed after an MV-22 Osprey crashes near Glamis, California, during a training mission.
