A US Marine Osprey aircraft crashed in the desert Wednesday afternoon near Glamis, Calif., just a few miles north of the Mexico border. The Los Angeles Times reports that there were five people aboard and four are dead.
A post on the Naval Air Facility El Centro Facebook page confirmed the crash, which occurred at about 12:25 p.m.
“We can confirm that an aircraft belonging to 3d Marine Aircraft Wing crashed near Glamis, CA. Military and civilian first responders are on site,” the post read.
Early rumors that nuclear material was onboard at the time of the incident were dismissed by officials.
“Contrary to initial reports, there was no nuclear material on board the aircraft,” the post continued. “More information will be made available as we receive it.”
The aircraft belonged to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego.
The Boeing V-22 Osprey aircraft, first flown in 1989, is unique in that its tiltrotor design combines the vertical lift-off and landing capabilities of a helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise ability of a plane. Each aircraft cost approximately $73 million, per a 2014 defense budget.
This is a developing story, and more information will be provided when available.
