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On Friday, March 18, 2022, four US Marines were reportedly killed in Norway during a crash involving an MV-22 Osprey aircraft. The incident happened during a NATO training session on Friday. The presumed deaths of the four military personnel were later confirmed by the II Marine Expeditionary Force via Twitter.
In a statement, the officials said:
"MV-22B Osprey Incident Norwegian Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Northern Norway's search-and-rescue operation assets located the wreckage of the MV-22B reported missing on March 18."
They further stated that a search-and-rescue operation was underway and it included both Norwegian police forces, the Norwegian military, and U.S. organizations. As per policy, the victims' identities will not be disclosed until their family members are made aware of the incident.
What happened, and how did the Osprey aircraft crash?
The four marines were part of the biannual Exercise Cold Response, which is held by Norway to provide training drills to military forces of NATO and its ally countries. As per ABC, the aircraft crashed near Nordland. Later, local police first responders confirmed that the four crew members had died at the crash site.
In initial reports, when the II Marine Expeditionary Force reported the Osprey as missing, authorities mentioned that the weather conditions were worsening. It reportedly went missing and could not be tracked by forces around the north of Saltfjellet in the Arctic Circle.
Furthermore, the authorities said they could not commence operations by air to reach the aircraft even after spotting the crash site. The Norwegian police and other authorities reached the site by land. This suggests that the aircraft crash might have been caused by poor weather conditions or reduced visibility.
Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey safety record
The safety offered by the unique aircraft has been debated for years, with U.S. Military forces deeming them safe but Japanese authorities expressing their doubts. According to a report by the International Security Assistance Force under NATO, the aircraft has been involved in seven crashes since it became operational in 2007.
Meanwhile, Popular Magazine stated that some vertical takeoff-and-landing-capable aircraft were not allowed to fly into bad weather conditions during a training mission. Since 2007, the aircraft has been the cause behind 12 fatalities. Meanwhile, Wired claimed that there had been around 30 fatalities over four crashes during the aircraft's testing period itself.
While some have questioned the safety of the aircraft, the U.S. Navy has endorsed its safety record since a similar crash in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2015.
