TRANSCRIPT:
In late July, four Australians were killed in a helicopter crash during a military exercise in far north Queensland.
Now, there's been another tragedy.
Three US Marines have died in a v-22 Osprey [[oss-pray]] aircraft crash on Melville Island, north of Darwin.
Northern Territory Police Commissioner Michael Murphy says another 20 were injured in the accident.
"Incredibly lucky - incredibly thankful - for a chopper that crashes and catches fire to have 20 marines that are surviving. I think that's an incredible outcome."
Of the 20 survivors, eight are understood to be still in hospital, one in a critical condition in intensive care.
Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles says rescue personnel did well to extract the injured from the scene because it happened at a remote location.
"Within a number of hours of that accident that we were able to get everyone to hospital, and I think that needs to be acknowledged. It was a huge effort from that remote location across to Darwin."
US President Joe Biden and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin have both offered their condolences, saying the Marines served their country with courage and pride.
There have also been condolences on both sides of Australia's political aisle.
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
"My heart goes out - and the heart of all Australians - to the American families of the personnel, the three that lost their lives in this tragic incident."
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has also offered tributes.
"America is an incredibly important friend; they are family to us. This is a very significant event. We know the Australian government is doing everything they can."
Attention is now squarely focused on finding out what happened.
Defence Minister Richard Marles has told Channel 9 everyone wants to know what went wrong.
"What will happen now is a number of investigations will be triggered with an accident of this kind, including I think from the United States. And we'll work with the US around the jurisdictional basis of those. But we really do need to allow those investigations to play out, to work out exactly what happened here."
Natasha Fyles says personnel are on the scene to collect information for investigators.
"The site has been secured with Defence and Northern Territory Police on Melville Island. And we also have the Australian Defence Force along with defence personnel from the US that were participating in the exercise have stood up a response. Additionally, I have kept the Prime Minister and the deputy prime minister updated. And I also have reached out to the United States consul. We wanted to make sure that every resource in the Territory was focused on this tragic event."
There appear to be concerns already about the aircraft.
US military analyst Colonel Cedric Leighton [[lay-ton]] says the Osprey has a checkered history.
"You know, it's one of those aircraft that has had a lot of trouble in its developmental phases. It had a lot of cost over-runs... There were about 51 or so people who were killed in Osprey-related accidents since the start of the operational flying of this aircraft, which was in the late 1980s."
An operation to recover the bodies of the three Marines is also underway.
Michael Murphy says recovery crews are working in tough conditions.
"This recovery and investigation will be prolonged, enduring, and complex. We are planning to be at the crash site for at least 10 days at this stage."
Meanwhile, the recovery operation for the Australian accident also goes on.
Richard Marles again.
"The waters in which the MRH-90 has gone down are very difficult, and the diving circumstances there are about as - amongst the most difficult the divers who have been involved have faced. It's a function of the depth and the currents around the Whitsundays, and so that continues."
