Three Marines killed in V-22 Osprey crash in Australia identified

(DARWIN, Australia) — The Marine Corps on Monday identified the three Marines killed on Sunday when their Osprey aircraft crashed during a training exercise off the northern coast of Australia.

The MV-22B Osprey was carrying 23 service members when it went down at about 9:30 a.m. near the Tiwi Islands, in the Northern Territory of Australia, Marine officials said.

The three Marines killed were identified as:

Cpl. Spencer Collart, 21, of Arlington, Virginia
Capt. Eleanor LeBeau, 29, of Belleville, Illinois
Maj. Tobin Lewis, 37, of Jefferson, Colorado

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of three respected and beloved members of the MRF-D family. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families and with all involved,” said Col Brendan Sullivan, commanding officer of Marine Rotational Force-Darwin.

Three others Marines remain hospitalized, one in critical condition, according to a Marine press release.

The Osprey had been transporting troops as part of a “routine training exercise” in support of Exercise Predators Run, a joint military exercise, officials said.

Recovery and investigation efforts are ongoing, officials said. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.

Two days earlier, the Marine pilot of an F-18 Hornet died during a training flight near San Diego.

In June 2022, an Osprey crash killed five Marines in Glamis, California. A military investigation concluded an “unpreventable” mechanical failure caused the disaster.

Osprey aircraft are capable of tilting their rotors, allowing them to take off vertically, and go between flying like a helicopter to flying like a plane.

U.S. Army officials in April had ordered a 24-hour stand-down of all aviation units following two deadly mid-air helicopter collisions within 30 days.

ABC News’ Edward Szekeres, Victoria Arancio and Luis Martinez contributed to this report.

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