CV-22 Osprey Helicopter Crash in Afghanistan Kills 4

A U.S. Air Force helicopter crashed April, 9th 2010 in southeastern Afghanistan, killing four and wounding others, the military said.

An Afghan official said it appeared to have crashed due to mechanical failure.

The U.S. military released a statement saying an American CV-22 Osprey had crashed, killing three U.S. troops, a civilian employee of unconfirmed nationality, and injuring “numerous other servicemembers.”

Air Force officials said the cause of the crash was still being investigated.

The CV-22 Osprey uses tilt-rotor design allows it to take off as a helicopter but fly more like an airplane, making it faster than most other military helicopters. According to the U.S. Air Force, the craft generally “conducts long range infiltration and resupply for U.S. Forces.”

Kabul government spokesman, Mohhamed Jahn Rasuliyar, first said the helicopter appeared to have been shot down, but changed that later to say the cause appeared to have been technical failure.