An Osprey aircraft carrying five Marines crashed near Glamis, Calif., located just north of the Mexican border, at about 12:25 p.m. local time on Wednesday.
“We ask for the public’s patience as we work diligently with first responders and the unit to identify what occurred this afternoon,” the Marines said in an emailed statement.
The Marines denied posts circulating on social media that asserted the aircraft may have been carrying nuclear material. “There was no nuclear material on board the aircraft,” the Marines said. Osprey aircraft, used by the U.S. and Japanese militaries, take off and land vertically like helicopters, but fly like airplanes. The MV-22B — which combines the flexibility of a chopper that can operate in diverse environments, with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft — is primarily used to transport troops and equipment in support of amphibious assaults.