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Eight of the 20 US marines who survived a fatal military aircraft crash on Melville Island north of Darwin remain in hospital, Northern Territory authorities have confirmed.
Key points:
- Five marines remain in hospital after the crash, with one in a critical condition
- Defence Minister Richard Marles says it's "remarkable" that 20 of the 23 marines survived
- The NT's Police Commissioner says all survivors of the crash have been brought back from the island
Three US marines were killed after their MV-22B Osprey crashed on the Tiwi Islands around 9:30am during a military training exercise.
Twenty-three personnel were on board when it crashed.
"We had 20 patients yesterday attend Royal Darwin Hospital, some of those went directly to Royal Darwin Hospital from the crash scene, others were were triaged at the Darwin airport," NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said on Monday.
"We've seen 12 of those people discharged from Royal Darwin Hospital emergency department and eight remain in hospital.
Ms Fyles said she could not comment on the condition of those in hospital "out of respect to them and to their families".
"What I can assure their families is that they are getting the best care possible and we are working to ensure that they are supported," she said.
NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy said Exercise Predators Run — the training exercise the marines were carrying out at the time of the crash — had been paused for now, but would ultimately continue.
"The advice I've been provided is that the operation will continue," he said.
"However, it's moving to the mainland of Northern Australia and won't be being conducted on the Tiwis."
Ms Fyles praised those involved in the crash response, from local clinic staff to hospital workers.
"We cleared emergency departments, opened additional theatres, had ICU beds prepared," she said.
"But we also made sure that we had additional support such as pathology, blood bank, all of those services coming online, not knowing what we were facing."
Operations turn from rescue to recovery
Commissioner Murphy said with all crash survivors back on the mainland, authorities' efforts had changed from rescue to recovery.
"The emergency operations centre will now focus on the recovery of the three deceased marines with dignity," he said.
He said additional fire service and police officers had been deployed to the crash site to analyse the scene and collect evidence alongside Defence to help authorities understand the cause.
Flight restrictions are in place around the site, with only authorised aircraft allowed near.
"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," he said.
Commissioner Murphy earlier told the ABC the response had been "complex" due to the remote location and rough terrain, and praised the efforts of all emergency services that responded.
"The crashed Osprey was in heavy bushland. The clinic staff, our police … were deployed to the location, [and] helicopters [and] a number of aircraft were immediately dispatched through defence, and other civilian services and CareFlight," he said.
"The ability to land in sort of close proximity to the crash site, and the speed of the assistance, ended in some causalities being treated quicker and probably saving lives."
Investigations into crash underway
Earlier on Monday, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said the crash had already triggered a "number of investigations".
"That process is already underway," he told ABC Radio Darwin.
"We will work closely with the US around the jurisdictional basis and the interaction of those investigations".
He said local services were on the scene of the crash near Pickertaramoor, two kilometres inland on Melville Island, "almost immediately".
"I think that's played a really important part in making sure we've had as many people survive as possible from this crash," he said.
"Twenty-three people were on board and 20 people have survived the crash, which is remarkable."
Ms Marles also said the US government would be responsible for publicly identifying the marines who had died.
"We now will work closely with the US government around repatriation of their remains," he said.
Australia's Defence Department secretary Greg Moriarty said NT Police and the NT coroner were involved in the reviews into the accident.
"There will be of course a US investigation … but of course it is in Australia so the NT authorities and the Australian Defence Force are engaged," he said at an event at Katherine's RAAF Base Tindal on Monday.
When asked if the incident would make the department reconsider using US Marine Ospreys in Australian defence operations, Mr Moriarty said it would consider any recommendations following the reviews.
Joe Biden expresses 'deepest condolences'
US President Joe Biden paid his respects for the marines involved in the crash, and said he and First Lady Jill Biden were "praying" for them.
"Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families of the Marines who lost their lives in this deadly crash," he posted.
"We are praying for those who also suffered injuries."
Speaking at the same event as Mr Moriarty, NT Senator Malarndirri McCarthy acknowledged the residents of the Tiwi Islands following the crash on their country.
"I reflect on the Tiwi people and what they must be going through too today with that great sadness on Melville Island," she said.
"Sorry business is a really, really sacred business, and it is a very sorry day."
Osprey a 'unique' aircraft
This is the sixth fatal crash involving a Marine Osprey since 2012, resulting in a total of 19 deaths.
However, Mr Marles refused to say that Australian defence personnel would be prevented from boarding the aircraft while the investigation is underway.
"The Ospreys have remarkable capability," he said.
"We routinely work with the US with the Osprey.
"We need to let this investigation play out to understand exactly what has happened here."
Keith Tonkin, who served 15 years in the Royal Australian Air Force, followed by nearly a decade of experience in international and domestic airline operations, said the Osprey was a very specific aircraft type.
"It was designed for a very specific task and that was to fly to places where we don't have a prepared runway or helicopter landing site," he told News Breakfast.
"Even if it's an open area, it can land and take off and carry quite a few people and because of that, we have a higher number of fatalities if the aircraft is fully loaded."
"We can only imagine that something horrible happened to cause that knowing that the people operating the aircraft highly skilled and experienced."
Military analyst and retired US Air Force Colonel, Cedric Leighton, said the investigation would consider mechanical and maintenance issues with the aircraft.
"There have been accidents throughout its history. And of course its unique characteristics, which are kind of a cross between a helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft, make it perhaps more vulnerable to mechanical issues than other aircraft," he said.