Advertisement

Three U.S. Firefighters Dead in Australian Fire Tanker Crash

Photo credit: Brook Mitchell - Getty Images
Photo credit: Brook Mitchell - Getty Images

From Popular Mechanics

  • Three American firefighters are dead after a C-130 Hercules fire tanker crashed just outside of Canberra, Australia.

  • According to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, the plane was “conducting fire control operations” when it crashed.

  • The C-130 was part of an extensive fleet of aircraft owned and maintained by the Canadian-based company Coulson Aviation.


On Thursday, a Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft assisting with fire suppression efforts crashed near Cooma, New South Wales, Australia, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Witnesses on the ground reported hearing a loud bang and saw a giant fireball around the time of the crash.

The bureau said the fire retardant-laden aircraft, Tanker 134, was conducting fire control operations when the crash occurred. The victims, three American firefighters, have not yet been identified.

Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the crash, but noted in a subsequent press conference that fire conditions were at their worst when the incident occurred. Rescue and recovery efforts were delayed due to thick smoke and intense heat wrought on by fire in the surrounding region.

“We’re a family,” Chuck Russell, who serves as a firefighting liaison between the U.S. and Australia, told the New York Times. “It doesn’t matter if you’re contract, if you’re from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, America, and what we’re doing tonight is coming together. We’re talking about things. We’re trying to fire out the whys and the whats.”

The aircraft was owned and operated by the Canadian-based firm Coulson Aviation. According to its website, the company has logged over 110,000 hours since it was founded in 1985. The company’s fleet participates in wildland fire suppression efforts and power-line construction, among other industrial “heavy-lift” operations.

In addition to the C-130 Hercules that crashed, Coulson has two Bombadier Challenger 600 jets, two Martin Mars water bombers, S-61 helicopters, a Boeing 737 Fire Liner, and CH-47 and UH-60 Helitankers. The company also has an additional three C-130s.

Coulson released a statement confirming the incident and expressed sympathy for the firefighters and their families. The company noted that a response team was activated and is traveling to Australia to assist with the investigation.

Shortly after news of the crash spread, other fire suppression aircraft in the area were grounded. This is the latest tragedy to strike the fire-scarred country. Before Thursday's incident, Australians were mourning the loss of at least five firefighters who had already lost their lives in the blazes.

You Might Also Like