Divers work to recover U.S. military aircraft off Australia after crash that presumably killed 3 Marines

Australian navy divers began work Monday to recover a U.S. military aircraft that went down two days ago, leaving three Marines presumed dead.

A statement from the U.S. Marine base Camp Butler in Japan did not give details on the possible cause of the crash or how long it could take to bring up the submerged wreckage of the MV-22 Osprey, which went down Saturday off Australia’s eastern coast during regularly scheduled operations with 26 personnel onboard. All but the three Marines were rescued.

The aircraft was located earlier Monday, said Australia’s defense minister, Marise Payne. An Australian navy ship arrived in Shoalwater Bay in Queensland state Sunday night to help the U.S. military hunt for the MV-22 Osprey.

The Marine Corps announced in a news release Saturday night that it was suspending a search for the three Marines. The Osprey was conducting operations from an amphibious assault ship — a large aircraft carrier-type vessel designed for launching helicopters — when it went into the water, the Marine Corps said in a statement.

Read the whole story from The Washington Post.

Featured image courtesy of U.S. Navy