An Osprey crash in Australia that killed three Marines was caused by multiple pilot errors during a near mid-air collision, a investigation has found.
This combination of photos provided by U.S. Marines Corps., shows Marine V-22B Osprey pilot Capt. Eleanor V. LeBeau, center, Cpl. Spencer R. Collart, left, and Maj. Tobin J. Lewis, right. The U.S. Marine Corps has released the names of the three Marines killed in a fiery tiltrotor aircraft crash on a north Australian island this week and said one off their colleagues remained in hospital in a critical condition.
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.
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. That the two preceding accidents did not prompt Whitefield, the former commanding officer, from conducting a standdown to look for larger safety issues “is gravely concerning and directly contributed to the failure to execute required safety of flight and weight and power procedures" on Aug. 27, the investigators found.
The Osprey that crashed also had incomplete maintenance, but none of the squadron’s leaders held up the aircraft from taking off. While the outstanding maintenance tasks were not identified as factors in the crash, “ultimately, the aircraft should not have been certified as safe-for-flight,” the investigators found.
Crash Marines Safety Investigators Flight Squadron Accident
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