The fatal crash of a US Marines Corp Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey aircraft near Darwin has put the tilt-rotor plane's safety record under renewed scrutiny.
Three US marines were killed and 20 are injured, five seriously, after the military aircraft crashed yesterday on the Tiwi Islands near Darwin during a multinational military exercise.
It was the latest fatal crash involving the Osprey, part helicopter and part aircraft, nicknamed the "Widowmaker" by some pilots.
Australian aviation expert Richard de Crespigny told Today this morning that while the Osprey was fundamentally safe, its revolutionary design tested flying skills to the limit.
"It's challenging all the modes of flight. It's like a helicopter at low speed and turbo propped aircraft at high speed. It can go 600km/h," he said.
"It's an advanced helicopter. It's a challenge to fly - it's unforgiving."
Development of the aircraft, built by US manufacturers Bell Helicopter and Boeing, began in 1982, as a replacement for military heavy-lift helicopters such as the Chinook.
The aircraft, with a crew of two, can carry 24 troops more than 400km.
De Crespigny said the Osprey had performed well on frontline military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq for US forces.
"They built 400. They have crashed about 14 ... compared to the Chinook that lost about 25 per cent of its hulls, the Osprey is doing pretty well."
The Osprey that crashed yesterday was taking part in exercise Predators Run, which involves the militaries of the US, Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and East Timor.
Defence Minister Richard Marles told Today there were a number of investigations underway involving the US and Australian militaries.
The incident comes just a month after four Australian army aircrew members died after an MRH-90 Taipan helicopter crashed into the sea near Hamilton Island off the Queensland coast during an exercise that was part of joint drills with the US.
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A history of crashes
Previous crashes of Osprey aircraft, according to CNN reporting and US Defence Department.
July 20, 1992: Seven people are killed during testing when an Osprey crashes in Virginia.
April 8, 2000: A crash during training in Arizona kills 19 Marines. The crash is blamed on pilot error, with investigators concluding the pilot tried to land too fast and at too steep an angle, causing a loss of lift.
December 11, 2000: Four Marines are killed when an Osprey crashes in North Carolina. The accident is later blamed on problems with a hydraulic part and a software anomaly in the aircraft's computer system.
April 8, 2010: US Air Force Osprey crashes in southern Afghanistan, killing three US service members and one civilian employee.
April 11, 2012: Two US personnel are killed in an Osprey crash in Morocco.
June 13, 2012: An Air Force CV-22 Osprey crashes during a routine training mission north of Navarre, Florida, injuring five.
May 17, 2015: A Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey crashes at Bellows training ground on Oahu, Hawaii, leaving two Marines dead.
December 13, 2016: An MV-22B Osprey lands in shallow waters off Okinawa, Japan, injuring two.
August 5, 2017: An MV-22B Osprey crashes off the coast of Australia, leaving three Marines dead.
September 28, 2017: A Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey crashes in Syria, injuring two service members.
March 18, 2022: Four US service members are killed when the MV-22 Osprey they are travelling in crashes during NATO training exercises in Norway.
June 8, 2022: Five US Marines die after an MV-22 Osprey crashes during a training mission Wednesday near Glamis, California.
- Reported with CNN
