Pilot Cited for Recognizing Ambiguity in U.S.M.C. Dual CH-53 Crash Flight Planning

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August 17, 2006

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Squadron leaders, pilots blamed in fatal CH-53E collision[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]By Christian Lowe[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Staff writer[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]The former commander of Marine forces in the Middle East slammed leaders and pilots of a New River, N.C.-based helicopter squadron for a failure of leadership and for fostering a “stifling command climate” that led to the Feb. 17 crash of two CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters off the coast of Djibouti that killed eight Marines and two airmen.

The mishap investigation report obtained by Marine Corps Times through a Freedom of Information Act request said the two helicopters from Detachment Bravo, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464, collided during a poorly planned daytime flight in which both aircrews failed to adhere to basic flight safety procedures. Investigators found both pilots exhibited poor leadership and failed to maintain situational awareness during the last few moments of the flight.

The pilot and co-pilot of the aircraft dubbed “Condor 11” were the only two crew members to survive.

The mishap report faults Condor 11 pilot, Capt. Susan Craig, 28, for a failure to stand up to Capt. Bryan D. Willard, 33 — “Condor 10” pilot and section leader for the mission — during the flight’s planning.

“She clearly recognized that Capt. Willard’s pre-flight and in-flight change of mission and plan was ambiguous and created unnecessary operational risk,” according to the mishap report.

Then-Marine Forces Central Command chief, Lt. Gen. John Sattler, signed off on the May 4 report, recommending Craig lose her wings and calling for action against Maj. Bart Ludlow, Detachment Bravo commander, and Lt. Col. Jeffrey Martinez, HMH-464’s commander at the time.

“The failures by the commander of HMH-464 are directly related to this mishap,” Sattler wrote. “Despite the geographical separation of the squadron and its detachment, the squadron commander cannot abdicate this responsibility.

“Appropriate administrative and/or disciplinary action should be taken.”
Marines killed in the crash were:

• Pilot, Capt. Bryan D. Willard, 33, of Hummelstown, Pa.

• Co-pilot, 1st Lt. Brandon R. Dronet, 33, of Erath, La.

• Sgt. James F. Fordyce, 22, of Newton Square, Pa.

• Sgt. Donnie Leo F. Levens, 25, of Long Beach, Miss.

• Sgt. Jonathan E. McColley, 23, of Gettysburg, Pa.

• Cpl Matthieu Marcellus, 31, of Gainesville, Fla.

• Lance Cpl. Samuel W. Large Jr., 21, of Villa Rica, Ga.

• Lance Cpl. Nicholas J. Sovie, 20, of Ogdensburg, N.Y.

The two airmen killed were Staff Sgt. Luis M. Melendez Sanchez, 33, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, and Senior Airman Alecia S. Good, 23, of Broadview Heights, Ohio — both Air Force communications specialists assigned to the flight.

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