A U.S. Marine Corps investigation report released on Friday reveals new details regarding an MV-22 Osprey crash that led to the death of three Marines after the aircraft crashed off the coast of Australia last August. The report cited “pilot error and complacency” as the cause of the fatal crash.
The report explained that the investigation into the fatal crash found “several concerning maintenance practices” by Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 363. Military.com reported that while the report did not directly blame the maintenance practices for the crash, investigators determined that the aircraft should not have been approved for flight on the day of the crash.
According to Military.com, the Osprey was participating in Exercise Predator’s Run before it crashed on Melville Island. Two Marine pilots, Maj. Tobin Lewis and Capt. Eleanor LeBeau, were killed in the Osprey crash, while crew chief Cpl. Spencer Collart was killed while attempting to rescue the pilots. Military.com noted that 20 other Marines survived the crash.
Friday’s report showed that investigators recommended punishments for at least two Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 363 members, including Lt. Col. Joe Whitefield, for “permitting a culture that disregarded safety of flight and aviation maintenance procedures.”
The report indicated that Lewis, who was one of the Osprey pilots, did not sign off on documents regarding pertaining to weight and risk prior to the fatal flight. According to Military.com the multinational training exercise the Osprey aircraft was involved in appeared to be rushed and filled with miscommunication.
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The report found that one of the problems with the Osprey aircraft was that the aircraft had over 2,000 pounds of fuel and a full crew during takeoff despite a plan calling for reduced fuel levels. The report also noted that Lewis was coaching LeBeau, a less experienced pilot, during the incident.
LeBeau’s Osprey was flying in formation behind another Osprey prior to the crash. The investigation noted that as the aircraft were preparing to land, the leading Osprey reduced its speed due to the pilot not being “within normal parameters for the approach to landing as planned.”
The sudden reduction of speed caused the two aircraft to almost collide in mid-air. As a result, the Osprey piloted by Lebeau and Lewis banked multiple times before it ultimately crashed into the ground as Lewis took over the controls in an attempt to level the aircraft and reduce its speed.
The Osprey crash also report revealed that Collart “heroically reentered the burning cockpit of the aircraft in an attempt to rescue the trapped pilots” but “perished during this effort.”
