No word on fate of 5 US Marines aboard crashed aircraft

GLAMIS, Calif. (AP) — Military officials on Thursday had yet to release official word on the fate of five Marines aboard a Marine Corps Osprey aircraft that crashed the day before in a Southern California desert.

The MV-22B went down around 12:25 p.m. Wednesday near the Imperial County community of Glamis, about 115 miles (185 kilometers) east of San Diego.

The aircraft was based at Camp Pendleton with Marine Aircraft Group 39 and was part of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing headquartered at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, said Maj. Mason Englehart, a spokesperson for the wing.

“Five Marines were onboard the aircraft, and we are awaiting confirmation on the status of all members of the crew,” a Marine Corps statement said. “We ask for the public’s patience as we work diligently with first responders and the unit to identify what occurred this afternoon.”

The MV-22B is a twin-engine tiltrotor aircraft that can take off and land like a helicopter but transit as a turboprop aircraft.

Versions of the aircraft are flown by the Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force.

Prior to Wednesday’s crash, Osprey crashes had caused 46 deaths, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Most recently, four Marines were killed when a Marine Corps Osprey crashed on March 18 near a Norwegian town in the Arctic Circle while participating in a NATO exercise.

The Osprey is a joint project of Bell Helicopter Textron and Boeing.

Its development was marked by deadly crashes, including an April 2000 accident in Arizona that killed 19 Marines.