A United States Marine Corps aircraft crashed on Melville Island in northern Australia on Sunday during a multi-nation training exercise. The crash resulted in the deaths of three Marines and left 20 others injured, officials have reported.
The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft was carrying 23 personnel when it went down around 9:30 a.m. Three individuals were confirmed dead at the scene, while five critically injured were airlifted to the mainland city of Darwin, located 80 kilometers (50 miles) away, for hospital treatment.
A “significant fire in the vicinity of the crash site” was reported by a U.S. military official, according to Australian air traffic control recordings.
The rest of the injured are being transported from the remote crash location via helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. One individual is currently undergoing surgery at the Royal Darwin Hospital.
The crash occurred during Exercise Predators Run, which involves troops from the United States, Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and East Timor. Approximately 150 U.S. Marines are currently based in Darwin, with up to 2,500 rotating through the city annually as part of a broader Asia-Pacific force realignment.
The Osprey aircraft combines the capabilities of a helicopter and airplane, allowing for vertical take-off and landing but transitioning to airplane-like flight for cruising. There have been five fatal crashes of Marine Ospreys since 2012, resulting in 16 deaths.
The cause of this latest crash is currently under investigation. The 12-day exercise, involving land, sea, and air troops, is scheduled to conclude on September 7.
Melville Island, where the crash occurred, is part of the Tiwi Islands and, along with Darwin, serves as the focal point of the ongoing military exercise. The majority of the island is covered in tropical woodland and is home to approximately 1,000 predominantly Indigenous inhabitants.