What happened
On Sunday, August 27, 2023, at approximately 09:43 local time, a Bell Boeing MV-22B Osprey operated by the US Marine Corps crashed on Melville Island, approximately 60 kilometres north of Darwin, Northern Territory. The aircraft was carrying 23 US Marine Corps personnel as part of a larger multinational military exercise and was en route at the time of the incident.
Three Marines lost their lives in the crash, and five others sustained serious injuries requiring immediate medical attention. The injured personnel were transported to Royal Darwin Hospital, with at least one patient reported to be in critical condition at the time of the initial response.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is investigating this occurrence in coordination with relevant defence and international authorities.