Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Air Force Osprey crash injures five

  • A CV-22 Osprey crashes at Hurlburt Field's Eglin Range, the Air Force says
  • Five crew members are injured, a spokeswoman says
  • The Osprey, a tilt-rotor aircraft, flies like a plane and lands like a helicopter

Hurlburt Field, Florida (CNN) -- An Air Force CV-22 Osprey crashed Wednesday during a routine training mission north of Navarre, Florida, injuring five crew members aboard, a military official said.

The Osprey crash occurred about 6:45 p.m. at Hurlburt Field's Eglin Range, said Amy Nicholson, chief of public affairs at the air field.

The five injured crew members were taken to an area hospital, Nicholson said. The extent of the injuries was not immediately known.

The cause of the accident is under investigation, she said.

The Osprey was assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing, the Air Force said. The tilt-rotor aircraft can fly like an airplane and land like a helicopter.

The Air Force began using Ospreys in 2008 after testing the aircraft in 2006.

The Ospreys were first deployed by the Marines in Iraq in 2007 after 18 years and $20 billion in development.

CNN's Mike Mount contributed to this report.