WASHINGTON, Aug 10, (AP): An Osprey crash in Australia that killed three Marines last August was caused by multiple pilot errors during a near mid-air collision, a military investigation has found. It also found that squadron leadership had permitted "a culture that disregarded safety of flight.”
Two Marines were killed by the Aug. 27 crash, pilots Capt Eleanor V. LeBeau, 29, and Maj Tobin J. Lewis, 37. A third Marine, crew chief Cpl Spencer R. Collart, 21, was killed as he "heroically re-entered the burning cockpit of the aircraft in an attempt to rescue the trapped pilots,” the investigators said in a report released late Friday.
Their loss "continues to be felt across the Marine Corps,” the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force said in a statement Friday.
The crash was one of four fatal accidents in the past two years that have drawn renewed congressional scrutiny of the V-22 Osprey, which is able to fly both as an airplane and helicopter. The Osprey has been a vital asset in special operations and combat missions, but it is considered one of the most complex aircraft to fly and maintain, and it has a troubled accident history. The Osprey is now subject to a number of reviews looking at whether it is the right fit for the military moving forward.
The Australia accident exposed significant safety issues within the squadron. Investigators recommended punitive actions, including potential court martial charges for one senior squadron member and potential administrative actions against the squadron's former commanding officer, Lt Col Joe Whitefield, who they said "permitted a culture that disregarded safety of flight procedures."
A senior maintenance officer, who was unnamed, was found to be in violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice for dereliction of duty and for falsely generating and signing a form detailing the aircraft's weight and loads after the crash. Lewis, the aircraft commander for the downed Osprey, was required to have reviewed that information prior to the flight. Investigators recommended the maintenance officer face administrative or judicial procedures.
Given the seriousness of the safety violations, investigators also recommended all Marine Corps Osprey squadrons schedule a temporary pause in flight operations, known as a standdown, to review this accident.