UPDATE (9:58 AM) (AP) — All five Marines on board an Osprey aircraft were killed when it crashed in the California desert near the Arizona border, the Marine Corps said Thursday, a day after the accident.
No additional details regarding the cause of the crash were provided in the Marine Corps statement.
The MV-22 Osprey went down at 12:25 p.m. Wednesday during training in a remote area in Imperial County near the community of Glamis, about 115 miles (185 kilometers) east of San Diego and about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Yuma, Arizona.
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.
“We mourn the loss of our Marines in this tragic mishap,” Maj. Gen. Bradford J. Gering, commanding general of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to their families and friends as they cope with this tragedy.”
The statement said as a matter of policy, the Marine Corps would be contacting family members before identifying those who were killed. Efforts to recover equipment were underway and an investigation has started.
IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KGTV) — The U.S. Marine Corps says five Marines were on an aircraft that crashed in Imperial County, California, near the Arizona border Wednesday afternoon.
The crash happened at 12:25 p.m on Wednesday, near State Route 78 and Coachella Canal Road in Glamis; which is 30 miles north of the Mexican border, and 150 miles east of San Diego.
Military officials say the five Marines were on an MV-22B Osprey that was based at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton with Marine Aircraft Group 39. There is no word on the condition of the Marines.
"We ask for the public's patience as we work diligently with first responders and the unit to identify what occurred this afternoon," 3rd MAW said in a released statement Wednesday.
"Contrary to initial social media reports, there was no nuclear material on board the aircraft," the statement added.
It's unclear what caused the aircraft to crash.
This story was originally reported by Krista Summerville on 10news.com.
