At least four people are dead after a U.S. Marine Corps aircraft crashed in Southern California on Wednesday.
The aircraft, an MV-22B Osprey belonging to 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, crashed near Glamis in Imperial County, southeast California, according to Maj. Mason Englehart, spokesman for the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which has units based in Miramar, Yuma, Pendleton, and Twentynine Palms.
He said the aircraft went down at 12:25 p.m. during a training exercise.
He could not confirm the number of people on board or whether there were any deaths, and said information was still being gathered.
The tiltrotor aircraft can take off and land as a helicopter but transit as a turboprop aircraft.
Malik Earnest, reporter for Fox 5 San Diego, said that according to radio chatter, at least four people are dead and rescue teams are searching for a fifth person who remains unaccounted for.
Earnest said that preliminary reports had noted the aircraft was “loaded with nuclear material.”
“More information will be made available as we receive it.”
It confirmed the crash and said that military and civilian first responders are on site.