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In tragic footage released yesterday by the US Navy, the modern aircraft is seen attempting to land on the deck of the USS Green Bay, off the coast of Queensland, Australia, on August 5, 2017.
But just as it nears the surface, the giant helicopter suddenly pitches down, slamming its left engine, and then disappears from view as the sailors on board run for their lives.
The Bell-Boeing helicopter was carrying 26 Marines from Tiltrotor Squadron 265, and then fell from at least 10 meters into the Pacific Ocean.
A hole that had been made in the hull of the craft caused water to quickly enter it and sink it.
23 black soldiers were rescued from the wreckage, while the bodies of three victims were recovered after about 12 hours of searching, as they had failed to escape at the time of the accident.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaiWTu7lub0
The victims were later identified as co-pilot Lt. Benjamin Cross, 26, Nathaniel Ordway, 21, and Ruben Velasco of Los Angeles, the latter only 19 years old.
When the crash occurred, the Osprey aircraft was operating from the USS Bonhomme Richard as part of a squadron of three such aircraft, practicing evacuation, reinforcement and casualty recovery operations.
Before the collision, the plane had made several flights between Bonhomme and the Australian base at Raspberry Creek, as well as another American warship called the USS Ashland.
A subsequent Pentagon investigation said the Osprey had crashed from “excess air being diverted around the propellers”.
The report added that the vehicle did not have enough power and too much weight to stay airborne.
Also last month, five US Marines were killed when an identical Osprey helicopter crashed near Highway 78 near the California desert town of Glamis.
Investigations into the causes of that event are still ongoing.
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