At least five people are presumed dead following the crash of a Marine aircraft near the Mexican border.
According to the reports, an MV-22B Osprey aircraft belonging to the Marine unit stationed in Miramar, San Diego, crashed near Highway 78 in Imperial County, California.
The plane crash reportedly took place near the town of Glamis some 150 miles away from San Diego and just 30 miles off of the Mexican border.
The military has since confirmed that at least five people were on board the plane at the time of the accident. All five people are presumed dead.
Officials also refuted initial reports that claimed the plane was transporting nuclear materials at the time of the crash.
“We can confirm that an aircraft belonging to 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing crashed near Glamis, CA,” Naval Air Facility El Centro revealed in a statement.
“Military and civilian first responders are on site. Contrary to initial reports, there was no nuclear material on board the aircraft. More information will be made available as we receive it.”
The MV-22B Osprey aircraft are manufactured by Boeing which previously described them as “a joint service multirole combat aircraft” and revealed they can achieve high speed and long distances while maintaining the capability of vertical performance like helicopters.
“With its rotors in vertical position, it can take off, land and hover like a helicopter. Once airborne, it can convert to a turboprop airplane capable of high-speed, high-altitude flight,” Boeing explained.
“This combination results in global reach capabilities that allow the V-22 to fill an operational niche unlike any other aircraft.”
As of this writing, the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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