ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Ill. — A former resident of Belleville, Illinois, was one of three U.S. Marines killed in a tiltrotor aircraft crash during a training exercise in Australia, the Marine Corps said Tuesday.
The three killed were Capt. Eleanor V. LeBeau, 29, originally of Belleville, Illinois; Cpl. Spencer R. Collart, 21, from Arlington, Virginia; and Maj. Tobin J. Lewis, 37, from Jefferson, Colorado. All were based in Darwin, Australia.
Belleville native LeBeau graduated from Althoff Catholic High School in Belleville in 2012.
She joined the Marine Corps in 2018 and was promoted to Captain on March 1, 2023.
Within just five years in the Marines, LeBeau received the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.
According to a release from Marine Rotational Force-Darwin, Lewis and LeBeau were piloting the aircraft at the time of the incident.
The Marine V-22B Osprey had 23 Marines on board when it crashed at about 6:30 p.m. Sunday in the Tiwi Islands. They were taking part in Exercise Predators Run, a drill that includes the militaries of Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and East Timor.
All 20 survivors were injured and were flown by rescue aircraft 50 miles south to the city of Darwin within hours of the crash. As of Tuesday morning, one Marine remained in critical condition at Alfred Centre Hospital in Melbourne, and two with stable vital signs were being treated at Royal Darwin Hospital, a statement said. Their names have not been released.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation as of Tuesday morning.
Up to 2,500 U.S. Marines have been based in Darwin for six months a year since 2012 as part of the U.S. military pivot to Asia to counter China’s growing influence in the region.
Col. Brendan Sullivan, the commanding officer of the Marine Rotation Force-Darwin, said the Marines’ focus was on supporting the recovery of wreckage and investigating the cause.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of three respected and beloved members of the MRF-D family,” Sullivan said in a statement.
“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families and with all involved,” Sullivan added.
President Joe Biden has also offered his condolences to their families.
“Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families of the Marines who lost their lives in this deadly crash,” Biden tweeted, referring to his wife Jill Biden. “We are praying for those who also suffered injuries.”
The Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter but during flight can tilt its propellers forward and cruise much faster like an airplane.
Before Sunday, there had been five fatal crashes of Marine Ospreys since 2012, causing a total of 16 deaths.
Three Marines were killed when an Osprey plunged into the Coral Sea off Australia's northeast coast in 2017. The remaining 23 people on board were rescued.
"Their service means so much and they give sometimes the ultimate sacrifice, like Captain LeBeau. We need to do everything we can to support her family and friends that are obviously dealing with her tragic loss," Rep. Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) said.
In a statement Rep. Mike Bost (IL-12) said, “Tracy and I are sending our prayers to the family and friends of three Marines killed in an MV-22B Osprey crash in Australia on Sunday, including Capt. Eleanor LeBeau from Belleville. Capt. LeBeau, who received the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, will be greatly missed by the community she dedicated her life to protect.”
