The five Marines were flying on a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter from Creech Air Force Base in Nevada to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in southern California when "the aircraft was reported overdue" on Tuesday, the service said in a statement on Facebook.

"The aircraft was located by civil authorities in Pine Valley, California" the following day, the statement said.

"The 3rd Marine Aircraft wing is managing the search and rescue efforts" and is "using ground and aviation assets to locate the aircrew in coordination with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and multiple federal, state and local agencies," it said.

The Marine Corps made no mention of remains being found with the helicopter, indicating that those aboard may have survived.

There have been a series of accidents involving US military aircraft over the past year, including the crash of a V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft off the coast of Japan in late November that left eight airmen dead.

Five American service members were killed when a helicopter crashed into the Mediterranean during a training exercise earlier the same month, while another Osprey crash in Australia left three Marines dead in August.

Three more military personnel were killed and another injured when two helicopters returning from a training mission in a remote area of Alaska collided in April.