Facts about V-22 Osprey – the aircraft that crashed in Beiarn in Nordland.
- The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is a US military aircraft with a 12-meter tiltrotor on each wing.
- The aircraft can take off and land vertically or on a short runway like a helicopter, and fly like a normal propeller plane when it has taken off.
- The aircraft of this type are stationed in Bodø during the NATO exercise “Cold Response” and are used by the US Marines.
- The V-22 Osprey versions of the US Marines are used primarily for transporting troops and equipment, and are used operationally in a variety of terrain and landscapes.
- MV-22B is the name of the version used by the US Navy and is the type that has crashed in Beiarn. The MV-22 is also capable of operating from ships.
- The aircraft flew for the first time in 1989 and entered active service for the US military right after the turn of the millennium.
- Since 2007, the aircraft type has been involved in 28 accidents of varying severity, according to The Aviation Safety Network, writes VG. Sources: NTB, Store Norske Leksikon, Wikipedia and Luftforsvaret.
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The special military aircraft has been involved in several accidents since 2007. According to a summary made by NRK, 40 people have lost their lives in accidents on this aircraft.
In 1992, seven people died when a plane crashed into a river in Virginia in the United States. The cause of the accident was an engine failure, and the plane was then put on the ground for almost a year.
The special thing about the plane is that it can take off and land like a helicopter. It can be used to land on vessels or in difficult places in nature to transport in personnel or equipment.
Two people rescued
Officer Rob Myers of the Naval Air Force Atlantic has stated that the plane was in a routine exercise when it went down.
According to the Daily Mail, the emergency services found two injured crew members when they arrived.
The people are said to have contracted broken bones and been transported to Salisbury for treatment.
The third person on board died. He is said to have been found in the back of the plane.
Barriers of area in Beiarn
It is only two weeks since the same aircraft type crashed in Beiarn in Nordland.
The US Department of the Navy is investigating the Beiarn accident, but is sparse with information.
– We will do everything in our power to understand what happened that fateful afternoon. We can not go into detail or suggest how long it will take before we can say something about the cause of the accident. It can take several months depending on various factors.
This is what Major General Michael Cederholm says in the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, according to a press release from it US defense.
The crash site in Gråtådalen in Beiarn is now guarded by the Home Guard.
– The site will be cordoned off, in order to secure evidence, maintain public safety and expedite removal of wreckage.
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