KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — A U.S. Air Force Osprey aircraft crashed in southeastern Afghanistan, killing three service members and one government contractor, NATO said Friday. It was the first crash of the costly, tilt-rotor aircraft in a combat zone.
The CV-22 Osprey went down about 7 miles from Qalat, the capital of Zabul province, NATO said. The cause of the crash was under investigation. Other personnel aboard were injured and were taken to a military base for treatment, NATO said.
A Taliban spokesman said militants shot down the aircraft, but the insurgents often make exaggerated claims.
A Pentagon spokesman, Marine Maj. Shawn Turner, said it was the first time that an Osprey has crashed during operations in a war zone. The aircraft takes off and lands like a helicopter, but its engines roll forward in flight, allowing it to fly faster than a standard helicopter.
A Zabul government spokesman, Mohammed Jahn Rasuliyar, confirmed the crash and casualty figure.
The CV-22 Osprey went down about 7 miles from Qalat, the capital of Zabul province, NATO said. The cause of the crash was under investigation. Other personnel aboard were injured
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