3 US Marines killed, 20 injured after aircraft crash in Australia during training exercise

Francisco Guzman, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read
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Three U.S. Marines died and 20 others were injured after a Marine Corps aircraft crashed in Australia during a training exercise Sunday, officials said.

The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft was carrying 23 Marines when it crashed on Melville Island. Three Marines were confirmed dead and five others were flown to a hospital in the mainland city of Darwin and are in serious condition, the Marines said in a statement, The Associated Press reported.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said only Americans were injured in the crash, AP reported.

“We acknowledge that this is a terrible incident,” Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said. “The Northern Territory government stands by to offer whatever assistance is required.”

A Care Flight helicopter is seen on the tarmac of the Darwin International Airport on Aug. 27, 2023, after the training accident..
A Care Flight helicopter is seen on the tarmac of the Darwin International Airport on Aug. 27, 2023, after the training accident..

Fyles said one Marine was undergoing surgery.

Crash occurred during training exercise

Albanese said the crash occurred during Exercise Predators Run, a training exercise involving troops from the United States, Australia, Indonesia, Philippines and East Timor.

The 12-day exercise, which is taking place in Darwin and the Tiwi Islands, is scheduled to end Sept. 7, AP reported.

The aircraft that crashed was flying from Darwin to Melville on Sunday, Northern Territory Police Commissioner Michael Murphy said.

About 150 U.S. Marines are currently based in Darwin and up to 2,500 troops rotate through the city every year, AP reported.

A MV-22B Osprey is seen coming in to land on the USS America off the coast of Brisbane, Tuesday, June 20, 2023.
A MV-22B Osprey is seen coming in to land on the USS America off the coast of Brisbane, Tuesday, June 20, 2023.

5 crashes, 16 deaths since 2012 involving the Osprey

The Osprey is a hybrid aircraft flown by the U.S. Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. It’s similar to a helicopter, but it can rotate its propellers forward and is faster.

Before Sunday, 16 people had died in five crashes involving Ospreys since 2012, AP reported.

In June 2022, five Marines were killed after an aircraft crashed in California because of a mechanical failure related to the clutch, according to a report. Since 2012, there had been 16 similar clutch problems with the aircraft, the report found.

Since the Marine Corps replaced a piece of equipment on the aircraft in February, there had been no crashes reported, according to the report.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 3 US Marines killed, 20 injured after aircraft crash in Australia