Osprey with five Marines on board crashes in Southern California desert

The status of those aboard the tiltrotor military aircraft, based at Camp Pendleton, wasn't immediately clear.

An Osprey aircraft with five Marines on board crashed in the Southern California desert Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

The status of the Marines wasn't immediately available. The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, an aviation squadron based in San Diego, said in a statement that it was "asking for patience as we work diligently with first responders and the unit to identify what occurred this afternoon."

The aircraft, an MV-22B Osprey, was based at Camp Pendleton, also in San Diego, the statement said.

Military officials said early reports of nuclear material on board the aircraft were false.

The crash was reported at 12:25 p.m. near Glamis, an area about 150 miles east of San Diego known for its desert sand dunes and other off-road attractions, Naval Air Facility El Centro said.