Marine Osprey Catches Fire During North Carolina Training

An MV-22B Osprey caught fire and made a hard landing during a training exercise in North Carolina on October 8, with four Marines aboard, the Marine Corps said. All four received medical care, and the cause is under investigation. The incident occurred in Bladen Lakes State Forest near Elizabethtown, at a landing area used for Marine pilot training. The aircraft was assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162, based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, according to the Marine Corps. Local fire official Dale Brennan said one Marine suffered burns and was flown by helicopter to the UNC Jaycee Burn Center in Chapel Hill. The Marine Corps has not publicly detailed the four Marines’ medical conditions, and the full extent of the burns was not established in the information available. Brennan said the Osprey carried roughly 6,000 pounds of jet fuel. Fire crews from about six or seven departments responded, according to local officials. The Marine Corps said civilian and military emergency services attended the scene. The location was identified in local accounts as the Pappy Tatum landing zone in Bladen Lakes State Forest.