US Marines killed aircraft crash in Australia identified

The three US Marines killed in the tragic aircraft crash while training in a joint-nation exercise in Australia over the weekend have been identified.

Crew member Cpl. Spencer R. Collart, 21, and pilot’s Capt. Eleanor V. LeBeau, 29, and Maj. Tobin J. Lewis, 37, died in the MV-22 Osprey crash on Sunday — 50 miles from the mainland city of Darwin, the branch confirmed.

A total of 20 other service members on board the aircraft when it went down were rescued.

Five of the Marines rescued were transported to Royal Darwin Hospital in serious condition.

As of Monday, three Marines remain in the hospital — with one still listed in critical condition, the Marine Corps said.

The remaining two were treated for minor injuries and released.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of three respected and beloved members of the MRF-D family,” said Col. Brendan Sullivan, commanding officer of Marine Rotational Force Darwin, in a statement.

“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families and with all involved.”

The US Marine helicopter went down during Exercise Predator’s Run 2023 as part of a multi-nation training operation that includes military personnel from Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste.

Roughly 2,500 people were involved in the exercises — 500 of whom are from the US.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) confirmed no Australian service members were on board the helicopter when it crashed.

All three Marines killed were attached to the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 363 and based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay, HI.

Collart, a Belleville, IL native and the only enlisted member killed in the crash joined the Marines in 2020 and was a crew chief for the squadron, the Marine Corps shared in a statement.

LeBeau, the osprey’s pilot, joined the service in 2018 out of Arlington, VA.

Lewis, a Jefferson, CO native, was the squadron’s executive officer and had served 15 years in the Corps.

“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Australian Defence Force, Northern Territory Police, Northern Territory Government, CareFlight Air and Mobile Services, NT Health, National Critical Care and Trauma Response Center, and Tiwi Island Government, who have come together to assist us in this difficult time,” the statement said.

The MV-22B Osprey is a hybrid between plane and helicopter capable of vertical takeoffs and landings and is the branch’s primary assault support craft.

A total of 50 service members have been killed in accidents involving the aircraft since 1990, according to Military.com.

The Marine Corps shared they have yet to determine how the crash happened, and its investigation is ongoing.

The helicopter disaster is the second fatal Marine Corps-related aviation incident in less than a week.

Maj. Andrew Mettler died while piloting a F/A-18D Hornet on Thursday night during training near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California before he crashed, the Marine Corps confirmed.