A recovery mission continues for three US marines killed in a chopper crash off the Northern Territory, as inquiries hope to determine why the aircraft ditched.
Of the 23 marines on the military Boeing MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, three were killed, one is in ICU, seven are in general hospital wards and 12 have been discharged.
"We're incredibly lucky and incredibly thankful, for a chopper that crashes and then catches fire, to have 20 marines that are surviving, I think that's an incredible outcome," NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy said.
The aircraft plunged to the ground on remote Melville Island, 80km north of Darwin on Sunday morning, sparking a significant rescue operation.
Twenty marines were transferred to Royal Darwin Hospital overnight, while rescue crews continued to work to recover the bodies from the crash site, which could take up to 10 days.
"This recovery and investigation will be prolonged, enduring and complex," Murphy said.
"We are planning to be at the crash site for at least 10 days."
He said "absolutely everything" had been dedicated to the incident, to work out "the truth of what happened".
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to the media in Karratha, WA, after the military plane crash that killed three US marines. – AP
NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said the territory was prepared for an incident of this scale and assured the families of the injured they were receiving good care.
"We do plan for these types of events, we hope that they never happen, but tragically when they do, we can respond," Fyles said.
The chief minister said the loss of the marines would be felt widely.
"These people weren't simply here for a few weeks on an exercise," Fyles said.
"They're a rotational force that comes through the Top End every year and they integrate themselves into our community."
"They attend sporting events, they attend schools and they provide support, so they're certainly part of our community."
The Department of Defence said the incident occurred during Exercise Predator's Run 2023 and no Australian members were involved.
The Marine Osprey aircraft has a tumultuous history, with a number of mechanical and operational issues since its introduction in the 1980s.
Since 2012, 19 people have died in six crashes involving the Osprey.
A MV-22B Osprey is seen coming in to land on the USS America off the coast of Brisbane. – AAP
Australia's Defence Force does not use the Osprey aircraft, an ADF spokesperson confirmed.
About 150 US marines are stationed in Darwin for the military drills alongside personnel from Australia, the Philippines, East Timor and Indonesia.
The exercises were paused after the crash but have resumed.
US President Joe Biden commented on the situation.
"Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families of the marines who lost their lives in this deadly crash," he said.
"We are praying for those who also suffered injuries."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sent his condolences, adding the quick emergency response showed the "best of the Australian character".
"We have no closer allies than the US. And this incident is, indeed, tragic," he said.
The US embassy on Monday issued a statement thanking members of the rescue operation.
"Australians and Americans have been the closest of friends for over 100 years and we're thankful for their continued friendship and support at this time."
Relatives of those killed are being informed and a statement on the victims is expected on Tuesday.
What is an Osprey?
- The V-22 Osprey is a multi-engine, dual-piloted, vertical takeoff and landing tilt-rotor aircraft, sometimes called a "heli-plane"
- It can take off, land and hover like a helicopter but once airborne it can convert to a turboprop airplane capable of high-speed flight
- It travels nearly twice as fast as most average helicopters and can carry up to 24 personnel
- US Marines, US Air Force, US Navy and Japan Ground Self Defence Force operate their own variants of the V-22 model
- Each V-22 Osprey costs US$71.3 million and is manufactured by joint venture company Bell-Boeing.
- The aircraft took its first flight in Arlington, Texas, in March 1989
What does it do?
- The aircraft is designed for combat, combat support, combat service support and special operations missions
- In addition to combat zones, it has deployed in humanitarian situations, earthquake relief and hurricane response
- It is used for missions such as infiltration, exfiltration, assaults, VIP transport, resupply, search-and-rescue and medical evacuations.
A chequered history
- 2000, April: A V-22 Osprey crashes in Arizona, US, killing all 19 US Marines on board
- 2000, December: A V-22 Osprey crashes in North Carolina, US, killing all four US Marines on board
- 2010, April: A US Air Force CV-22 Osprey goes down in southern Afghanistan, killing three US service members and a civilian on board
- 2012, April: A V-22 Osprey crashes in a training exercise in Morocco, killing two people on board and injuring two others.
- 2015, May: A V-22 Osprey makes a hard landing in Hawaii, US, killing one US Marine, injuring 21 others
- 2017, August: A V-22 Osprey crashes off Australia's east coast, killing three US Marines
- 2022, March: A V-22 Osprey crashes in Norway during a NATO exercise, killing all four personnel on board
- 2022, June: A V-22 Osprey goes down in California, US, killing all five US marines on board
- 2023, August: A V-22 Osprey crashes in the Northern Territory during military exercises, killing three US Marines