Osprey Down In California (UPDATED)

An MV-22 Osprey with five Marines aboard crashed in the Southern California desert just after noon on Wednesday. The Marines have confirmed the crash and reported that all five of…

An MV-22 Osprey with five Marines aboard crashed in the Southern California desert just after noon on Wednesday. The Marines have confirmed the crash and reported that all five of the people onboard were killed. Authorities also denied initial reports that there was “nuclear material” on the aircraft. "We ask for the public's patience as we work diligently with first responders and the unit involved to identify what occurred this afternoon," the Marines said in a statement on Wednesday.

The crash happened at 12:25 p.m. near Glamis, California, near Naval Air Facility El Centro. The tiltrotor was based out of Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton and was operated by the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. Both units are based near San Diego. 

Russ Niles is Editor-in-Chief of AVweb. He has been a pilot for 30 years and joined AVweb 22 years ago. He and his wife Marni live in southern British Columbia where they also operate a small winery.