Military officials have confirmed that five Marines were killed in the crash of an MV-22B Osprey during a training mission near Glamis in Imperial County.
The Marines were part of Marine Aircraft Group 39, a unit based at Camp Pendleton. The unit is part of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing that is headquartered at MCAS Miramar.
Military officials say It crashed about 12:25 p.m. Wednesday.
Maj. Gen. Bradford J. Gering, the commanding general of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, said in a statement: "We mourn the loss of our Marines in this tragic mishap. Our hearts go out to their families and friends as they cope with this tragedy."
Since becoming operational in 2007, the V-22 has had eight crashes including two combat-zone crashes and several other accidents or incidents that resulted in a total of 16 fatalities.
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