Pilot errors, safety culture blamed in fatal Marine Corps Osprey crash

An Osprey crash in Australia that killed three Marines final August was brought on by a number of pilot errors throughout a close to mid-air collision, a navy investigation has discovered. It additionally discovered that squadron management had permitted “a tradition that disregarded security of flight.”

Two Marines have been killed by the Aug. 27 crash, pilots Capt. Eleanor V. LeBeau, 29, and Maj. Tobin J. Lewis, 37. A 3rd Marine, crew chief Cpl. Spencer R. Collart, 21, was killed as he “heroically re-entered the burning cockpit of the plane in an try and rescue the trapped pilots,” the investigators stated in a report launched late Friday.

The crash was one among 4 deadly accidents up to now two years which have drawn renewed congressional scrutiny of the V-22 Osprey, which is ready to fly each as an airplane and helicopter. The Osprey has been an important asset in particular operations and fight missions, however it’s thought-about one of the vital advanced plane to fly and preserve, and it has a troubled accident historical past. The Osprey is now topic to numerous critiques whether or not it’s the proper match for the navy shifting ahead.

The Australia accident uncovered vital issues of safety inside the squadron. Investigators beneficial punitive actions, together with potential courtroom martial fees for one senior squadron member and potential administrative actions towards the squadron’s former commanding officer, Lt. Col. Joe Whitefield, who they stated “permitted a tradition that disregarded security of flight procedures.”

A senior upkeep officer, who was unnamed, was discovered to be in violation of the Uniform Code of Navy Justice for dereliction of responsibility and for falsely producing and signing a type detailing the plane’s weight and hundreds after the crash. Lewis, the plane commander for the downed Osprey, was required to have reviewed that data previous to the flight. Investigators beneficial the upkeep officer face administrative or judicial procedures.

Given the seriousness of the protection violations, investigators additionally beneficial all Marine Corps Osprey squadrons schedule a brief pause in flight operations, often known as a standdown, to assessment this accident.

It’s the second current Marine Corps Osprey accident the place important flight knowledge and voice knowledge have been misplaced as a result of the recorder was destroyed by the post-crash hearth. After a 2022 Osprey crash in California that killed 5 Marines, investigators beneficial that every one Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey flight knowledge recorders get replaced with a model that was immune to high-temperature and hearth and would survive a crash. A question to the Marine Corps on whether or not these replacements have been being completed was not instantly answered.

The Hawaii-based squadron had been on a excessive tempo of operations on its abroad Australia deployment and will have been overloaded. Within the three weeks earlier than the deadly crash the squadron skilled two lesser accidents, together with one which was one other near-miss that additionally was tied to weight and cargo points, which ought to have been warning indicators, investigators discovered.

That the 2 previous accidents didn’t immediate Whitefield, the previous commanding officer, from conducting a standdown to search for bigger issues of safety “is gravely regarding and instantly contributed to the failure to execute required security of flight and weight and energy procedures” on Aug. 27, the investigators discovered.

On the day of the crash, Lewis was chargeable for serving concurrently because the in-flight teacher for the pilot flying the lead plane and likewise because the plane commander on his personal Osprey throughout a fancy, multinational train. However investigators discovered that Lewis didn’t attend mission planning briefs detailing the flight and didn’t assessment the aircrafts’ hundreds, upkeep historical past or danger evaluation earlier than taking off, leaving him with a lack of knowledge of the flight, investigators discovered.

Investigators discovered each Ospreys had taken on 2,000 kilos extra gasoline than they’d deliberate for and had solely used estimates on how a lot every of the troops within the again would weigh. The load of an plane performs a important position in how pilots can safely function it.

The Osprey that crashed additionally had incomplete upkeep, however not one of the squadron’s leaders held up the plane from taking off. Whereas the excellent upkeep duties weren’t recognized as components within the crash, “finally, the plane mustn’t have been licensed as safe-for-flight,” the investigators discovered.

A fourth crew member was severely injured within the crash, which occurred as the 2 Ospreys have been flying low on a ultimate touchdown strategy in the course of the multinational coaching train.

Within the ultimate minutes of the flight, the lead Osprey diminished energy with out informing the trailing Osprey, and the trailing Osprey didn’t sense the shortly closing hole between the 2 plane in time, investigators discovered. The trailing Osprey reacted with a steep financial institution to keep away from a mid-air collision, then shortly entered two further steep banks that put the plane able the place it was topic to a 20-knot tailwind.

The plane commander didn’t assess the seriousness of the state of affairs and take the flight controls till it was too late, and by that time the trailing Osprey didn’t have its tilted rotors or its energy settings able to deal with the maneuvers with the plane’s weight. It shortly stalled, turned unrecoverable, and crashed nostril down.

There have been a complete of 23 Marines on board the crashed plane. The 19 troops within the again, who have been being flown to a drop-off level for the navy train, all survived.