BLADEN COUNTY, N. C. (WECT) – A military MV-22B Osprey based out of Marine Corps Air Station New River caught fire and made an emergency landing Thursday morning in the Bladen Lakes State Forest area, officials said.
The Osprey was conducting military training operations when it caught fire.
Four Marines were aboard the aircraft, and one was taken to a burn center for injuries, according to White Lake Fire Chief Dale Brennan.
The other three Marines were uninjured and were flown back to base.
The fire has since been extinguished.
Multiple area fire crews worked to control the fully involved fire.
Brennan said the aircraft had about 6,000 pounds of jet fuel aboard.
Fire crews faced challenges getting water and trucks to the site because of its location in the woods, according to a WECT crew at the scene.
The military flew in four officials from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune to investigate the incident, Brennan said.
A U. S. Marine Corps aircraft carrying four service members burst into flames Thursday following a hard landing during a training mission in North Carolina.
The MV-22B Osprey out of Marine Corps Air Station New River went down near the Bladen Lakes State Forest.
All four personnel aboard were taken for medical evaluation, according to a Marine Corps statement provided to Fox News.
White Lake Fire Chief Dale Brennan told WECT that at least one Marine suffered burns and was rushed to a nearby clinic.
Both civilian and military emergency crews responded to the site.
The incident coincided with scheduled training exercises at MCAS New River this week.
Prior to the exercise, neighboring Camp Lejeune had issued a notice warning local residents to expect increased traffic delays, security measures, and emergency response activity.
The cause of the fire has not been released at this time.
The NCIS is leading the investigation. The cause of the incident remains under investigation.
