Four killed – VG

Police in Norland have confirmed that four people were killed in a V-22 Osprey American airliner crash in the Bay of Biscay on Friday night.

There were four crew members on the plane who were engaged in training on the NATO-led Gold Response.

– Police arrived at the scene of the accident around 01.30pm tonight. Unfortunately all four people on board were confirmed dead. As far as police know, all four are U.S. citizens, Operations Manager Iver Bo Nilsson said in a statement Saturday morning.

Police had earlier said it was a rescue helicopter and had observed extensive damage to the aircraft. Also, the region is still cold and bad weather.

– Police have launched an investigation and informed AIBN. The weather in the area is very bad, so further work on the scene has been completed, but the operations manager says police will take action again once the weather permits.

Police said the militants were alerting relatives and pursuing them.

AIBN and forensic technicians from Gripos are due to arrive at the scene on Saturday. The police also have a regional identification team that can assist Gribose when needed.

– Americans aboard

The last known position of the aircraft was at Saltfzellet.

According to the plan, the Armed Forces say they must have landed at the air base in Bodo by 6pm on Friday. Press release.

A rescue helicopter picked up the emergency signal, according to security forces.

The U.S. Navy tells Vijay that they are aware of the incident.

– The cause of the incident is under investigation. Correspondent Jacob Chuck said that we are cooperating with the Norwegian authorities who are leading the operation.

He did not confirm whether the crew was American. I do not wish to say much beyond that at present.

Defense Leader: My thoughts are on the grieving ones

Just before 6.30pm, the plane was reported missing from a primary rescue center in northern Norway.

– We immediately activated the resources to search for the relevant area where they should fly, says Ringen.

The last time security forces had radar contact with the plane was at 16.20, police said. The plane had a crew of four and was engaged in training in the Norland. It was heading north to Bodo.

– Yesterday afternoon I received the news that an American plane had gone missing and had not arrived in Bodo according to the original plan. I feared the worst, but longed for the good news, says Defense Chief General Eric Christopherson.

– Search and rescue operation to locate the crash site. Unfortunately it has now been confirmed that the crew on the US plane died in the crash. My thoughts go to the deceased’s departed and colleagues. Thanks to everyone involved in the search and rescue mission. We have no one to lose, says Christopherson.

This aircraft is a Bell-Boeing V-22 Aspire aircraft. A U.S. twin-engine military aircraft that takes off like a helicopter, lands, rotates engines, and flies like an airplane.

Since the aircraft was used by the US military in 2007, they have been involved in 28 accidents of varying severity. According to the Aviation Safety Network.

During the test, which developed the aircraft type, it was involved in four fatal crashes, killing a total of 30 people. Since 2010, 16 people have died in Ospray accidents.

HRS does not have theories or indications as to what might have happened or whether the weather had anything to do with the incident.

Reporter: A tragedy

More than 30,000 soldiers from 27 countries are currently participating in the ongoing NATO exercise.

– Yngve Odlo, lieutenant general and commander of the Armed Forces Operations Headquarters, tells VG that this is a serious incident.

VG says the mayor of Beiarn municipality, Andre Kristoffersen, informed the municipality of the development overnight and was informed that four people on board had died.

– This is a tragedy. It is broken. Gråtådalen, where the accident took place, is widely used for flight training because some people live there and are far from the nearest road, says Kristoffersen.

The Bayern Municipality is now showing all the help needed, including rescue workers and celebrities.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Kar Store (Labor Party) mourned the plane crash in the Nordland on Friday night. He writes this on Twitter.

– Our deepest condolences go to the families of the players and their teammates, Støre writes in condolence.

AIPN

Norwegian Defense Minister Odd Roger Enoksen (Sp) on Friday night offered his condolences to the families, comrades and friends of four American soldiers who died in a plane crash in the municipality of Beiaren in the Nordland.

This is what the Ministry of Defense writes on Twitter.

A spokesman for the Gold Response Training, Lt. Col. Iver Moyen, referred to the main rescue center Friday night, but confirmed that the incident was linked to NATO exercises.

– The plane has been operating from Bodo in recent weeks in connection with the Gold Response, he tells Vijay.

– What are the implications of this for NATO training?

– Says very soon. Now the full focus is on the rescue operation, so we will come back to that later, he says.

The Armed Forces announced Saturday morning that training would continue as planned after the plane crash.