8 US Marines in the hospital after aircraft crash in Australia killed 3

Hannah Murdock
·3 min read
In this photo released by Australian Department of Defense, United States Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft are parked at RAAF Base Darwin, Australia, Aug. 11, 2023, during Exercise Alon at the Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2023. Three marines were killed in an aircraft crash Sunday.

A military aircraft crashed during a routine exercise in Australia Sunday, killing 3 U.S. Marines and seriously injuring several others.

Twenty-three Marines were on board an MV-22B Osprey when the aircraft crashed and burst into flames on Melville Island near Darwin, Australia, The Associated Press reported. The incident occurred at 9:30 a.m. local time.

The crash occurred during Exercise Predators Run, a “joint military exercise also involving soldiers from the Philippines, Indonesia and East Timor,” according to The New York Times.

All 20 of the survivors were taken to the Royal Darwin Hospital after the crash. As of Monday morning, eight were still in the hospital.

What caused the aircraft crash?

“The cause of the incident is under investigation,” a statement Sunday from the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin reads.

Military analyst and retired U.S. Air Force Col. Cedric Leighton told CNN that it was too early to know if it was “a mechanical failure or some other issue.”

Previous incidents

This is not the first time U.S. service members have died in crashes involving the MV-22 Osprey, CNN reported. Just last year, nine died in two separate incidents.

On March 18, 2022, four service members died in a crash in Norway during NATO training exercises in Norway.

On June 8, 2022, five Marines died during a training mission near Glamis, California. The incident was caused by a mechanical failure related to the clutch, per AP.

Reactions to the aircraft crash

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin released a statement on social media Sunday, expressing his condolences to the families of the Marines who were killed.

“These Marines served our country with courage and pride, and my thoughts and prayers are with their families today, with the other troops who were injured in the crash, and with the entire USMC family,” the statement reads.

President Joe Biden also reacted to the incident with a social media post.

“Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families of the Marines who lost their lives in this deadly crash. We are praying for those who also suffered injuries,” Biden wrote.