The bodies of the four Marines who died in the crash in Norway of their plane which was taking part in a NATO exercise, have been found and transported to the nearest town, the Norwegian defense announced on Sunday March 20.
“
The four crew members were picked up from the crash site by a Norwegian 330 Squadron Sea King rescue helicopter.
The bodies will remain in Bodø (north) until they are transported to the United States
,” the armed forces said in a statement.
Their identity has not been disclosed.
The plane would have "
hit
" the mountain
The Osprey model aircraft which belonged to the Marine Corps, with four Americans on board, disappeared from radar at the end of the day on Friday, when the weather was difficult, local emergency services had announced.
Bad weather had complicated the search and the rescue operation which could not take place on Saturday.
“
The work went well, but it was demanding.
But they brought out the dead, it was the first priority
, ”explained at a press conference a police official, Kristian Vikran Karlsen, head of the investigation.
According to the first elements, the plane would have "
hit
" the mountain.
According to public television NRK, the plane's black box was also recovered.
The aircraft was on a training mission as part of Exercise Cold Response, which involves 200 aircraft and around 50 ships, and is continuing as planned, with additional measures due to the weather.
These maneuvers, which last until April 1, aim to test Norway's ability to receive external reinforcements in the event of aggression by a third country, under Article 5 of the NATO Charter which obliges its members to come to the aid of one of their own.