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Osprey Aircraft’s safety issues revealed in US Marine crash as search for bodies persists.

The search for the bodies of three⁣ U.S. marines killed in‍ the V-22 Osprey aircraft⁤ crash on Melville Island, 80 kilometres⁣ north of Darwin,‌ continues three days after it crashed on Aug. 27.

An ‌additional twenty U.S. marines also on ⁣the downed aircraft were transferred to Royal ​Darwin ⁤Hospital on Sunday, ​with eight remaining in hospital, five of whom are in critical condition.

Northern Territory⁢ Chief Minister Natasha Fyles⁤ told reporters ⁣it was a credit to emergency responders that they⁢ were able to get everyone to safety ‍quickly.

“It’s … ⁣a credit to everyone involved that we were⁢ able⁣ to get 20 patients from an ‍extremely remote location on an island into ​our tertiary hospital within a matter of hours,” ⁤she⁢ said.

This tragic ​incident resulted in the loss of Captain Eleanor⁢ LeBeau at 29 years old, Corporal Spencer Collart at⁤ 21 years old, and‍ Major Tobin Lewis at 37 years old.

The Osprey that crashed on Aug. 27 was ​one of two that was being flown from Darwin to Melville as part of Exercise Predators Run, an exercise involving the militaries of the United States,⁤ Australia,⁣ Indonesia, the Philippines, and East Timor.

Remarkable Death Toll Was Not Higher

While the cause of the crash is yet to be⁢ revealed, Northern Territory Police Commissioner Michael Murphy noted that ‍to have twenty survivors from the crash was⁤ incredible.

“For​ a chopper that crashes and catches fire, to have 20 Marines that are‌ surviving, I think that’s an incredible outcome”‌ and emergency⁤ services were ‌surprised that ⁤the death toll ‌was ​not higher,” he ⁢said.

Australian Defence Minister Richard ​Marles also remarked ⁣on the amount of survivors saying it was ​remarkable, “in many ways, so ‍many have survived…this remains a very tragic incident, and ​the loss of those⁤ lives are keenly ⁤felt.”

U.S. Defence Secretary ⁤Lloyd Austin has also‌ paid tribute to ⁢the Marines who died in a social media post about the crash on X‍ (formerly known as Twitter).

“We tragically lost service‍ members during a training exercise in Australia,” he said.

“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.”

Osprey ⁢Aircraft Involved in‍ Crash’s Poor Safety⁢ Record

The Osprey aircraft has​ long been a controversial capability for the U.S. defence forces due to its poor safety record and multiple ‌accidents.

Dubbed “The Widowmaker” on account of‍ its safety record,⁤ since 1992, the ‍V-22 Osprey ⁢has⁤ been involved in 15 accidents, 10 of which have been fatal, resulting in 53 fatalities.

The most recent‍ Osprey aircraft crash prior‍ to the Melville Island crash‌ on Aug. 27 occurred in June 2022‌ in California​ and ‌resulted ​in five fatalities; the ‌cause of the crash was put down to mechanical failure.

The Melville Island crash ⁤also wasn’t the first crash that has occurred with the Osprey in Australia, with ⁤a crash in August 2017 ​off the coast of Rockhampton also responsible for the death of another three marines.

What is the Osprey, and What Are Its Issues?

The Osprey aircraft is a dual-piloted, multi-engine ​tilt-rotor ‌aircraft ⁤with the‌ capability to execute vertical​ take-offs, ⁤hovers, and helicopter-like landings.

While in flight, it holds the⁢ ability to reposition its propellers horizontally, allowing it to fly like an airplane.



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