US military investigation finds ‘pilot error’ cause of Melville Island crash

The cause of a tragic Melville Island crash which claimed the lives of three US Marines has been revealed through a military investigation.

Three American Marines Captain Eleanor LeBeau, 29, Corporal Spencer Collart, 21, and Major Tobin Lewis, 37, have been remembered as 'heroes' following a fatal Osprey crash in the Northern Territory on Sunday August 27.

The US Osprey crash which claimed the lives of three US Marines off the Northern Territory coast was the result of a near-collision in midair and pilot error, a military investigation has found.

On August 27, 2023, Captain Eleanor LeBeau, Major Tobin Lewis and Corporal Spencer Collart were killed after their Osprey crashed on Melville Island, while 20 other service members, who were being transported in the back of the tilt-rotor, survived.

Almost 12 months since that harrowing day, a military investigation’s findings have revealed the cause of the mishap to have been pilot error rather than material or mechanical failure of the aircraft.

The investigation’s findings have been published by the US government.

It has been almost 12 months since the MV-22 crashed on Melville Island. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Investigations found that in the moments before the crash, two Ospreys were flying at low altitude on a final landing approach during Exercise Predators Run.

The lead Osprey reduced power without informing the trailing Osprey, whose pilots did not sense the closing gap between the two aircraft.

The trailing Osprey reacted with a steep bank to avoid a mid-air collision, then quickly entered another two additional steep banks that put the aircraft in a position where it was subject to a 20-knot tailwind.

The investigation found the trailing Osprey did not have its tilted rotors or power settings in a position to handle the manoeuvres with the aircraft’s weight, which resulted in the airframe becoming unrecoverable and crashing nose down.

It was noted Lewis, the aircraft commander, should have taken control of the situation sooner.

Spencer Collart died heroically trying to save the two pilots in the cockpit.

Collart died alongside LeBeau and Lewis after he “heroically re-entered the burning cockpit of the aircraft in an attempt to rescue the trapped pilots”, military investigators said.

The tragic accident has also exposed grave safety issues within the squadron that could lead to possible charges for one unnamed senior squadron member and administrative action against Lieutenant Colonel Joe Whitefield, the former squadron commanding officer, who the report alleged permitted “a culture that disregarded safety of flight procedures”.

The investigation found damning details surrounding the maintenance and administration aircraft.

Another unnamed officer was accused in the report of falsifying documents related to the aircraft’s weight and load before the flight, leading to another safety violation.

The downed Osprey also had incomplete maintenance which should have prevented it from taking off, though those issues did not factor into the crash, the investigation determined.

In a statement on Saturday, the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force said the loss of the three Marines “continues to be felt across the Marine Corps” and confirmed the findings of the investigation had been provided to the families of the fallen.

“The investigation commends the life-saving and supporting actions by the embarked ground combat element Marines, supporting aviation combat element Marines, and the emergency response by the Australian Defence Force and local Australian civilian first responders, who provided first aid, triaged casualties, and evacuated the injured Marines to higher echelons of care,” the 1st MEF said.

“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.”