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There were five marines killed in a helicopter crash near the Arizona border on Wednesday during training. According to KCRA, the Marine Corps did not release any additional information in their statement regarding the incident. The helicopter was an MV-22 Osprey and was flying from Camp Pendleton in San Diego before it crashed.
“We mourn the loss of our Marines in this tragic mishap,” commanding general Maj. Gen. Bradford J. Gering, shared. “Our hearts go out to their families and friends as they cope with this tragedy.”
KCRA mentioned that the Marine Corps had to deliver the news to each individual family before releasing the names of the deceased to the public.
The model of the helicopter that they were flying has received backlash for not being up to safety standards. It has a track record totaling multiple fatalities throughout the years. In fact, over 40 people have died in the same model of helicopter in the past. Just this year, four marines were killed near the Arctic Circle. The crash before that killed three marines near Queensland, Australia. A crash occurring in Arizona in 2000 killed 19 marines in total. Aside from crashing, KCRA detailed an Osprey crash occurring in 2015 that caught on fire in Hawaii and killed 21 individuals.