One killed, 21 injured in MV-22 hard landing in Waimanalo

The US Marine Corps have revised the number of Marines hospitalized in Sunday's crash from 12 to 21.

One has been declared dead, while 21 are hospitalized following a Marine aircraft crash at Bellows Air Force Station in Waimanalo. The crash happened at around 11 a.m. There were twenty-two people present on the aircraft at the time of the crash.

According to the US Marine Corps, “An MV-22 Osprey from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit experienced a hard-landing mishap while conducting training aboard Marine Corps Training Area – Bellows”. The unit is stationed out of Camp Pendleton, California. The authorities have not released the identities of the people on board.

In Total, three Ospreys flew through the area, headed toward a landing zone, but only two of the aircraft were able to made it back out. It happened on a terrain, which was flat because it's generally used as a landing zone.

At that time, the Marines were conducting routine sustainment training, a landing exercise typically done with that type of aircraft. The 15th MEU departed San Diego on May 10 on a seven-month deployment to the Pacific Command and Central Command areas of operation.

So far officials haven’t found the cause of the incident, they are still investigating.

Capt. Alex Lim with USMC Forces Pacific said that typically when MV22s hold sustainment training they don't just take off on their own due to which other aircraft other MV22s have been doing the same thing.

Furthermore, Lim mentioned that the Osprey is a reliable aircraft. It was recently used in in rescue missions in Nepal and the Philippines.

The accident took place near a public area due to which many people witnessed the tragic happening. Ken Quinata saw the incident as it happened. Ken said that they were staring at it because they don't normally see aircraft landing that close and then all of a sudden, it just went down quick and burst into flames.