From left to right: Marine Maj. Tobin J. Lewis. 37; Capt. Eleanor V. LeBeau, 29; and Cpl. Spencer R. Collart, 21, were killed on Aug. 27, 2023 when their MV-22B Osprey crashed in Australia.
A lack of oversight and safety procedures by the Marine in charge of inspections led to the August 2023 MV-22 Osprey crash in Australia that killed three Marines and injured 20 others, according to a U.S. Marine Corps investigation. The report, released Friday, Aug. 9, by I Marine Expeditionary Force, found that the aircraft should not have been deemed safe to fly due to maintenance issues, but it was allowed to participate in a training exercise.
The investigation identified several issues with the maintenance of the aircraft involved, particularly the one that crashed. The report stated the MV-22 was poorly maintained to the extent that it should not have been certified as safe for flight. However, it was allowed to fly, and both aircraft carried approximately 2,000 pounds more fuel than planned. A senior maintenance officer, unnamed in the report, violated regulations by fabricating and signing a form about the aircraft’s load after the crash.
The report recommends several actions in response to the crash. It found that Lt. Col. Joe Whitefield, the squadron commander at the time, did not review the falsified form before the flight. As a result, investigators recommend administrative action against him for permitting a culture that disregarded safety procedures.
Cpl. Spencer R. Collart, the aircraft’s crew chief, survived the initial impact but died trying to reach the aircraft’s pilots after it crashed. Collart “heroically re-entered the burning cockpit of the aircraft in an attempt to rescue the trapped pilots.” He died during this attempt, and his autopsy showed high levels of combustion product inhalation.
On Aug. 27, 2023, one Marine MV-22B Osprey with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 363 (REIN), Marine Rotational Force-Darwin, crashed on Melville Island. It killed pilots Maj. Tobin J. Lewis, 37, and Capt. Eleanor V. LeBeau, 29, along with crew chief Cpl. Spencer R. Collart.
During the exercise, two MV-22Bs left Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin. They were on their descent when the lead aircraft suddenly reduced power. The trailing aircraft nearly collided with it but executed a sharp turn to avoid a collision. It took two more sharp turns, encountering strong tailwinds. The MV-22B stalled and crashed nose-first onto Melville Island.
“We will never forget Maj. Lewis, Capt. LeBeau, or Cpl. Collart, and their loved ones as we continue to provide the safest, most capable platforms to the men and women who fly them,” I Marine Expeditionary Force said in a statement.
The 20 survivors, including 19 Marines being transported to another exercise point, sustained injuries. A fourth crew member was seriously injured.
Lewis, who commanded the Osprey that crashed, was also serving as the in-flight instructor for the other aircraft. Investigators found he had not reviewed the loadout for his aircraft or attended mission briefings.
The MV-22 crash in Australia was one of several fatal incidents involving the Osprey in the U.S. military. A recurring clutch failure in the gearbox has been a significant problem, and the military has been working to resolve it or find workarounds. Earlier this month, Air Force Special Operations Command released its findings into a November 2023 CV-22 Osprey crash in Japan that killed all eight crew members. That crash resulted from extremely worn mechanical pieces inside the gearbox, not a clutch failure.
