US Marine Osprey crashes in Hawaii; 1 dead, 21 injured

[jakeXT]

Source: AP

HONOLULU (AP) — A Marine Corps Osprey aircraft caught fire after crashing during a "hard landing" in Hawaii on Sunday, killing one Marine and sending 21 other people to hospitals. Dark smoke from the fire billowed into the sky as rescuers made their way to the scene at Bellows Air Force Station on Oahu.

The injuries ranged from critical to minor, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific spokesman Capt. Alex Lim said.

The tilt-rotor MV-22 Osprey, which can take off and land like a helicopter but flies like an airplane, had a "hard-landing mishap" at about 11:40 a.m., the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit said in a statement.

The cause of the crash was under investigation, Lim said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/aircraft-crash-reported-hawaii-air-force-station-230933059.html

[onehandle]

1. I watched four Ospreys taking off and landing yesterday across the river in Camden.

There were several military helicopters with them.

They all landed in a pretty small parking lot next to Campbell's Field.

The Ospreys each took off and re-landed.

It was clearly a emergency exercise practice of some sort.

They were only there for about half an hour then the Ospreys and helicopters took off in a hurry.

It was pretty amazing. I wonder if there were exercises like this nationwide?

[Plucketeer]

2. Exercises such as you detail

go on ALL the time with any sort of aircrews. Whether we're in a war or emergency situation - staying proficient at operating the very complex aircraft our military uses requires that crew members stay on top of their game. Flight simulators are expensive - have to be designed from the ground up in concurrence with the aircraft they replicate - and are so expensive that there's really only a few available at any time. This means flying the real craft is the primary way they stay sharp.

I'm not a pilot or even an ex-pilot, but I am a veteran of the aviation industry. My opinion has been that this super-complex Osprey has been a mistake since it's conception. The hybrid Airplane-Helicopter idea has been around since before even the first real helicopters got off the ground. They are no great leap of technology - and the American taxpayer has paid dearly (not to mention those lost in the development and operation of these ungainly craft) to prove a point. Boeing-Vertol has been the ONLY winner in the dogged quest to get these things into service. Once they're worn out, there'll be NO direct replacement built to supercede them.

[name not needed]

6. Obama's scheduled to be in Camden today.

Anytime Marine One goes anywhere, there's always a couple Ospreys in tow. Chances are you saw the flight crew doing a dry run of his arrival.

[onehandle]

7. Yeah. They returned earlier today. I got video of Obama's Marine helicopter arriving.

I'm sitting by the river watching one of the Ospreys patrolling.

The president is wrapping up and I'm hoping to get some better shots.

They closed the pedestrian walkway on the Ben Franklin bridge. I wanted to be up there above the landing area, but no.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. lands and takes off like a helicopter, flies and like a plane, and crashes

like a rock.

How many billions did we waste on this quagmire? FIFTY FIVE BILLIONS?

[bemildred]

4. Well isn't that just "Picture Perfect". nt

[Jerry442]

5. You'd think the Marines of all people would have the cojones to call a crash a crash. NT

Last edited Mon May 18, 2015, 09:34 PM - Edit history (1)