US marines killed in Australia plane crash named
US Marine Corps crew chief Corporal Spencer Collart, 21, pilot Captain Eleanor LeBeau, 29, and Major Tobin Lewis, 37, died within the incident, the US navy mentioned.
Their MV-22B Osprey went down on Melville Island, 80km north of Darwin, at about 9.30am native time on Sunday, with 23 people on board.
The US president, Joe Biden, and the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, prolonged their condolences to the households of these killed.
All 20 survivors had been injured and had been flown by rescue plane to hospital in Darwin.
Three remained in hospital on Tuesday, one in crucial situation and two steady, a Marines assertion mentioned.
An investigation is happening into the reason for the crash.
Up to 2,500 US Marines have been based mostly in Darwin for six months a yr since 2012 as a part of the US navy pivot to Asia to counter China’s rising affect within the area.
Col Brendan Sullivan, the commanding officer of the Marine Rotation Force-Darwin, mentioned the Marines’ focus was on supporting the restoration of wreckage and investigating the trigger.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of three respected and beloved members of the MRF-D family,” Sullivan mentioned in an announcement.
“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families and with all involved,” Sullivan added.
The Osprey is a hybrid plane that takes off and lands like a helicopter however throughout flight can tilt its propellers ahead and cruise a lot sooner like an airplane.
Before Sunday, there had been 5 deadly crashes of Marine Ospreys since 2012, inflicting a complete of 16 deaths.
Three Marines had been killed when an Osprey plunged into the Coral Sea off Australia’s northeast coast in 2017. The remaining 23 folks on board had been rescued.