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Maritime Accident News

Coast Guard officer charged in fatal helicopter crash

Posted on Dec 04, 2011

The U.S. Coast Guard has charged the lone survivor of a deadly 2010 helicopter crash with negligent homicide and other charges, the Associated Press reports.

Lt. Lance Leone was a co-pilot aboard the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter that crashed off LaPush, Wash. in July of last year. Witnesses said the aircraft was flying low and hit power cables that ran 1,900 feet between LaPush and James Island. Three persons on the chopper were killed: Brett Banks, 33, of Rock Springs, Wyo., Adam C. Hoke, 40, of Great Falls, Mont., and Lt. Sean Kruger, 33, of Seymour, Conn.

Leone, 31, was rescued from the water by Good Samaritans.

Leone is charged with negligent homicide, dereliction of duty and destruction of government property. He stands accused of failure to properly navigate the helicopter to miss charted hazards and that he failed to fly at a higher altitude. It is alleged he flew “without proper authority” and caused the destruction of the $18.3 million CG-6017.

He is charged with the deaths of Hoke and Kruger but not of Banks, the other pilot. His defense attorney says the government has not explained why this is so.

Leone faces possible court martial and 7 ½ years in prison if convicted on all counts.

Leone’s father, George, claimed that the cables were unmarked and that orange warning balls were close to the poles instead of in the middle of the span.

The Coast Guard was in charge of maintaining the lines and there have been other accidents involving them. In a 1961 fatal accident, a federal appeals court ruled that the USCG did not exercise “reasonable care” by not installing warning devices. In the late-1950s there was another collision involving the same lines.

"And the sole survivor, they're trying to blame him," said George Leone."It's just unbelievable."

Lt. Lance Leone has been awarded numerous awards, including commendation medals.

Learn your rights as a seaman by ordering free copy of The Insider's Guide to Winning Your Maritime Injury Case written by Jones Act and maritime accident injury lawyer Brian Beckcom.

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