US Marine Aircraft Crashes ‘Killing Two’, Leaving Several Members Missing

Two people are feared dead after a US Marine aircraft crashed leaving several service members still missing.
The MV-22 Osprey went down earlier today - with ships and other aircraft being scrambled to help with the search and rescue mission, Express reported.


In a statement, the US Marine Corps said, "The United States Marine Corps confirms there is an active search and rescue operation ongoing for service members involved in an MV-22 mishap off the east coast of Australia."

The aircraft went down off the coast of Queensland, Austrialia.

So far 23 of the 26 personnel on board had been accounted for, it is understood, leaving some service members still missing.

Two are thought to have died in the crash.

MV-22 Osprey helicopters are crewed by four people and can carry up to 24 troops seated or 32 when at maximum capacity.

The aircraft was in Australia to be part of the giant Australian-US military exercise Talisman Sabre, which has just concluded.

The V-22 has had a controversial safety record, with the latest crash one in a string incidents that have resulted in 39 fatalities over 26 years.

And today's crash comes just weeks after a Marine Corps cargo plane spiraled out of the sky and into the Mississippi Delta, killing 15 Marines and a Navy Corpsman.

Horrific footage from the scene shows the moments after the plane caught fire, with bright orange flames licking at the wreckage while thick black plumes of smoke billowed above.
 [farsnews.com]
5/8/17