A U.S. Navy captain partially to blame for a deadly helicopter crash is up for promotion according to a published report.
Commander Jana Vavasseur is now eligible to command cruisers, amphibious assault ships or warships, the Navy Times reports.
She was the commanding officer of the San Diego destroyer William P. Lawrence when a wave hit the ship last year, causing a helicopter on deck to crash into the red sea.
Pilots Lt. Cmdr. Landon L. Jones, 35, and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jonathan S. Gibson, 32, were both killed.
A Navy report said Vavasseur was partially to blame because she changed course as soon as the chopper landed.
The report, released in April, faulted the ship's commander with putting the ship into rough “quartering seas,” causing it to roll as it was struck by large waves, the Stars and Stripes reported.
The Navy Times says the widows of Jones and Gibson are outraged and plan to write letters to Navy officials, hoping to stop the promotion.
