The U.S military on Monday announced the names of three Marines killed in a military aircraft crash during a training exercise off the Australian coast over the weekend.
The trio were among 23 Marines on board the MV-22B Osprey when it crashed late Sunday morning on Melville Island north of Darwin, the Marine Rotational Force in Darwin (MRF-D) reported.
Darwin is the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory located on the continent’s northcentral coast.
The United States Marine Corps identified its dead members as:
- Corporal Spencer R. Collart, 21, originally from Arlington, Virginia;
- Captain Eleanor V. LeBeau, 29, originally from Belleville, Illinois;
- Major Tobin J. Lewis, 37, originally from Jefferson, Colorado.
According to their unit, Collart was the Osprey crew chief, LeBeau and Lewis were the aircraft’s pilots, and Lewis also served as the executive officer of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 363.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of three respected and beloved members of the MRF-D family,” Colonel Brendan Sullivan, commanding officer of MRF-D, said. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families and with all involved.”
Sullivan said the Marines “remain focused on required support to the ongoing recovery and investigative efforts.”
On the day of the crash, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd called the crash tragic and offered sympathy to loved ones of the Marines.
“These Marines served our country with courage and pride, and my thoughts and prayers are with their families today, with the other troops who were injured in the crash, and with the entire USMC family,” Austin posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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17 others injured, 3 remain hospitalized
The crash took places about 9:30 a.m. local time, officials said, while the aircraft transported troops during the training exercise.
Of the 17 others injured in the crash, three remained hospitalized − one in critical condition and two in stable condition, the unit reported.
The remaining 14 were taken to Royal Darwin Hospital to be treated for minor injuries and released, the unit said.
The unit did not release the names of those injured.
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The cause of the crash remained under investigation on Tuesday.
What is an Osprey?
A V-22 Osprey is a military aircraft manufactured by Bell Boeing with vertical takeoff and landing and short takeoff and landing used to transport “troops, equipment and supplies from assault ships and land bases,” according to the Marines.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior correspondent USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @nataliealund.
