HONOLULU – A military aircraft crashed at an Air Force base in Honolulu sending thick black smoke into the air Sunday and took the life of a Marine, news stations in Hawaii reported.
Twenty-two Marines from Camp Pendleton were aboard the Osprey during the training exercise mishap around 2:45 p.m. PST at the Bellows Air Force Base in Waimanalo, Hawaii, officials said. The Marines use the area for amphibious assault and non-live fire exercises.
The 21 surviving Marines were taken to hospitals “for assessment and treatment,” according to the Marine Corps.
Three hours after the crash, a reporter in Honolulu said a Marine died as a result of the crash.
BREAKING: One Marine was killed in the crash of a military aircraft off Bellows that also injured at least 12 others late this AM.
— Gordon Y.K. Pang (@PangInTheHale) May 18, 2015
US Marine Corps: "An MV – 22 Osprey had a hard landing mishap while conducting training. 12 Marines were transported to local hospitals."
— Ashley Moser (@AshleyMoser) May 17, 2015
Video just into our newsroom of a downed helicopter at Bellows. Courtesy M. Raquinio @KITV4 pic.twitter.com/y1WvpQEFCX
— Ashley Moser (@AshleyMoser) May 17, 2015
Residents in the nearby Keolu Hills and Enchanted Lake areas told KITV about thick black smoke coming from the military base.
The affected Marines are part of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit that left San Diego last week aboard three ships: the assault ship Essex, dock landing ship Rushmore and transport dock ship Anchorage, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The 4,500 sailors and Marines of the Essex Amphibious Ready Group were assigned to a training exercise in Hawaii and then to a routine deployment in the Western Pacific and beyond for seven months.
On Friday, Marine Corps Base Hawaii alerted residents warning there would be an increased amount of noise in the area due to “amphibious operations and air training” at Bellows, KITV reported.
Watch FOX5 at 10Â p.m. Sunday for an update on the crash.
