Is the Coast Guard correct in charging LT Lance Leone with negligent homicide?

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 02 Aug 2015 23:45:43 -0400

The Coast Guard is charging Lt. Lance Leon with negligent homicide in the death of two crew members as the result of a helicopter crash in 2010. Lt. Leon was the copilot of the helicopter. The Air station commander did not want to pursue these charges after reviewing available data on the crash and hearing the legal argument to pursue the charges. Coast Guard commander in Alaska, Rear Adm. Thomas Ostebo overrode this decision. Is this the correct way to handle this decision? I'm not familiar with this area and I'd like to hear other's opinions on the matter. It doesn't seem to me that this is right. //juneauempire.com/local/2011-12-09/sitka-commander-was-prepared-drop-charges

Sitka commander was prepared to drop charges

JUNEAU - The commander of Air Station Sitka testified Thursday he was prepared to recommend that allegations against the co-pilot in a fatal helicopter crash be dropped, but those plans were trumped by the new Coast Guard admiral in Alaska. Cmdr.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Aug 2 at 2015 11:54 PM

SSgt Alex Robinson — Sun, 02 Aug 2015 23:54:05 -0400

If the accident board ruled he was culpable it may be legit. I'm just not sure he needs tone charged. I can't even imagine the guilt he must carry with him.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Aug 3 at 2015 12:13 AM

Capt Seid Waddell — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 00:13:08 -0400

It doesn't sound just to me.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 3 at 2015 12:33 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 00:33:25 -0400

It doesn't make any sense to me. The wires were uncharted and he wasn't on the stick, so why would he be held responsible?

Response by PO2 Jeffrey Sheibels made Aug 3 at 2015 1:19 AM

PO2 Jeffrey Sheibels — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 01:19:13 -0400

The out comes of this case could change a use thing in the Coast Guard. . It would open the doors for these same charges to be brought up in any instance where only one crew member survivives. I think this admiral is trying to set an example with this case and try to make this change happen. I think the admiral has an agenda.

Response by SGT Jeremiah B. made Aug 3 at 2015 1:41 AM

SGT Jeremiah B. — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 01:41:05 -0400

Wait, so do I understand this correctly? The co-pilot, a young officer new to the area, is being charged with negligent homicide for not questioning the decision of the pilot, an experienced aviator with more experience in the area, for doing something not all that unusual?

That makes no damn sense.

Response by SGT Ben Keen made Aug 3 at 2015 7:56 AM

SGT Ben Keen — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 07:56:29 -0400

So I just read the article and while I'll say right now that I don't know much about the events in the article, from reading it, it sounds like the co-pilot is being scapgoated into the being the bad guy because he is the only survivor. If the balls they talk about and their position fall into the responsibility of of the Coast Guard why weren't they placed as they should have? And why did the pilot decide to drop that low in the first place. Does the co-pilot have responsibility to actively navigate? Sure but the charges seem a little much to me after reading this article.

Response by LTC John Shaw made Aug 3 at 2015 9:19 AM

LTC John Shaw — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 09:19:06 -0400

CPT Private RallyPoint Member Given the facts this seems outrageous to me! It is so far out my area of expertise I don't understand how a co-pilot not having direct control and the junior officer is supposed to override a superior in this situation. Negligent homicide is a much lower standard but no mens rea (mental state) for the co-pilot to do anything but the safest possible action.
Another stupid decision by 'leadership'.

Response by SA Harold Hansmann made Aug 3 at 2015 10:03 AM

SA Harold Hansmann — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 10:03:05 -0400

I agree, The Rear Admiral. is looking for a scapegoat.
How would a FNG know what the SOP is for that area?
Why as a FNG would he question a superior officer and pilot as to why he was doing what he was doing?
New FNG's don't know shi* from shinola, wasn't the pilot actually flying.
What was the weather conditions like? How fast was the wind blowing at higher altitudes vs lower altitudes? There are a bunch of factors to consider. AND WHY AFTER 5 YEARS ARE THEY FINALLY GETTING AROUND TO THIS?

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 3 at 2015 11:15 AM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 11:15:21 -0400

I am obviously not an expert but I see young pilots whose flight careers are jeopardized for all kinds of things, of their fault, and not.

This specific, in my not so humble opinion, is complete bull****.

The LT (LTJG at the time?) was the junior pilot being trained by the senior pilot. Should he have to retake some courses in crew resource management (CRM)? Most likely. Should he be convicted or even charged? Absolutely not.

Response by PO2 Jonathan Scharff made Aug 3 at 2015 11:30 AM

PO2 Jonathan Scharff — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 11:30:30 -0400

What a horrible situation. Those who are intrusted with putting their lives on the line actually took lives. There is no worse situation in the Coast Guard. Obviously none of us have enough information from just one article to judge this man or the crews actions. I yield to the the CMDR of the air station who has all of the facts. I would say the Admiral needs to back off.

My thoughts and prayers go out to families of the lost Coasties and to this young man. Semper Paratus!

Response by CPO Jon Campbell made Aug 4 at 2015 2:37 PM

CPO Jon Campbell — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 14:37:13 -0400

It was a tragedy, but charging the copilot because he was the only survivor is not right. Waiting 5 years to charge him just makes it even worse. This isn't a case of a cover up or a case where the facts are not known. It is now just a blame game. I think that the CO's instinct was right and if charges come down, hopefully those instincts will prove to have been right in the first place. The positive thing that can come out of charging Leon is that he will not have to live under the threat of arrest for years on end anymore. There has to be a way to close this case. It is also the only case I can think of where civilians have protested the actions of a Coast Guard Admiral by picketing.

Response by CPO Jon Campbell made Aug 4 at 2015 3:24 PM

CPO Jon Campbell — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 15:24:31 -0400

I think that we might be discussing old news here. After checking, it appears that the charges were dropped in 2012, and I don't see the admiral listed as being active anymore. I don't see any current news about Leon since he was removed from the promotion list in 2012, and it appears that he may have left the service.

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Aug 4 at 2015 3:27 PM

SFC Mark Merino — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 15:27:03 -0400

Striking wires (marked/unmarked) at 114ft off the deck warrants investigation. The immediate commander might want charges dismissed so HIS own record remains untarnished or any number of other reasons. You can have a laundry list of reasons why the bird went down and no onewas to blame, but as soon as they heas that it was a wire strike at 114 ft every flare in the inventory goes up. I have seen it many times before but there were never any survivors. Helicopters are essentially very expensive flying beer cans. It doesn't recover from the slightest abuse that low without it becoming a Class A mishap.

Response by CDR David Cronk made Aug 5 at 2015 6:19 PM

CDR David Cronk — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 18:19:27 -0400

Ostebo has some hidden agenda, why else would he override the CO's recommendation to drop charges?