US marines killed in military aircraft crash in Northern Territory identified: Search teams to retrieve bodies after Osprey accident
The three US Marines who died in a horror plane crash in Australia’s Top End have been identified.
A military training exercise went horribly wrong on Sunday when their Boeing MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor plane crashed to the ground and burst into flames on remote Melville Island, 50 miles north of Darwin.
US Marine Corps crew chief Corporal Spencer Collart, 21, pilot Captain Eleanor LeBeau, 29, and Major Tobin Lewis, 37, were killed in the crash.
Their bodies are expected to be recovered at the scene of the accident on Tuesday.
Twenty other US Marines on board were hospitalized, with one still fighting for their life.
Captain Eleanor LeBeau, 29 (pictured) was the pilot aboard the Osprey helicopter
DEATH: Corporal Spencer Collart, 21 (left) and Major Tobin Lewis, 37, (right) also died
Corporal Collart, 21, of Arlington, Virginia, was the crew chief aboard the helicopter during the exercise.
He had served in Florida, North Carolina and Hawaii since joining the US Marines in October 2020
During his three-year tenure, he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.
Captain LeBeau, 29, of Belleville, Illinois, was the pilot aboard the Osprey and had received the same awards as Corporal Collart.
During her five years of service, she had served in Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and Hawaii.
Major Lewis had enjoyed a highly decorated stint in the Marine Corps since 2008 serving in Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Japan and Hawaii.
The Major from Jefferson Colorado received an array of awards, including two Commendation Medals from the Navy and the Marine Corps.
The Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Navy Unit Commendation, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and four Sea Service Deployment Ribbons were also among the medals awarded.
Colonel Brendan Sullivan, commander of the Marines Rotational Force, said the entire Marine Corps Force “family” was deeply saddened by the tragedy.
“Currently, we remain focused on providing necessary support to the ongoing recovery and investigation efforts,” he said.
“We would like to express our sincere thanks to the Australian Defense Force, Northern Territory Police, Northern Territory Government, CareFlight Air and Mobile Services, NT Health, National Critical Care and Trauma Response Center and the Tiwi Island Government, who have come together to join us in this difficult time.’
Survivors of the crash joined the people of Darwin on Monday night in an emotional memorial and candlelight vigil organized by the local RSL.
Three US Marines were killed while 20 others were hospitalized after a military training exercise went horribly wrong. Pictured is an A Care Flight helicopter at Darwin International Airport being deployed to transport the injured
“It was such a terrible tragedy, so many young lives,” a local resident told Nine News.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin paid tribute to the dead Marines on Monday.
“These Marines served our country with courage and pride, and my thoughts and prayers today are with their families, with the other troops injured in the crash, and with the entire USMC family,” he tweeted.
US President Joe Biden added: “Jill and I extend our deepest condolences to the families of the Marines who lost their lives in this deadly crash. We pray for those who have also suffered injuries.’
The crashed Osprey was one of two that had flown from Darwin to Melville on Sunday.
Of the 20 U.S. Marines hospitalized, three are staying for treatment, with one in critical condition in intensive care.
“We are incredibly lucky and incredibly thankful that for a helicopter that crashes and then catches fire, we have 20 Marines that survive, I think that is an incredible outcome,” said NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy.
The complex investigation into the cause of the crash continues
“This recovery and research will be long, protracted and complex,” Murphy said.
The Boeing MV-22B Osprey, with 23 people on board, crashed into Melville Island in the Tiwi Islands at 9:43 a.m. local time on Sunday.
An aviation tracker Twitter account (pictured) reported that a ‘RAAF C-130 has been circling the area for some time and a Careflight helicopter and fixed wing aircraft are also on site’
“We plan to be at the crash site for at least ten days.”
The Defense Department said the incident occurred during Exercise Predator’s Run 2023, the NT’s largest Australian-led military exercise.
No Australian members were involved.
About 150 US Marines are stationed in Darwin and participate in military exercises, along with personnel from Australia, Indonesia, East Timor and the Philippines.
The Marine Osprey aircraft has had a tumultuous history, with a number of mechanical and operational problems since its introduction in the 1980s.
Since 2012, six Osprey accidents have killed 19 people.
The Osprey is designed to take off vertically like a helicopter, but has the speed and range of a conventional aircraft.