Coulson B733 Fire Bomber Crash in WA

[Stuart McCarthy]

N619SW B733 has crashed in the Fitzgerald River National Park, to the west of Esperance, both crew survived.

[Brenden S]

LARGE AIR TANKER INCIDENT
At approximately 4.15pm a Large Air Tanker crashed while responding to a bushfire in the Fitzgerald River National Park.
The aircraft, a Boeing 737 Airliner, is a National Large Air Tanker currently based in Western Australia. It departed Busselton-Margaret River Airport, bound for the bushfire, at approximately 3.30pm.
The two occupants removed themselves from the aircraft. Both were retrieved from the crash site by helicopter and taken to Ravensthorpe Airport, where they were then transferred to a local medical facility.

Video from the last weekly systems check.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AHmm5N4WFI

[Greg Hyde]

https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/coulson-fire-fighting-737-suffers-accident-in-australia/

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-06/water-bomber-crashes-fighting-wa-bushfire-two-people-hospital/101938070

[Adrian B]

Crash site photos on WA Today article here (https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/plane-crashes-as-firefighters-battle-blaze-in-wa-s-south-20230206-p5cidz.html)
https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.394%2C$multiply_0.9788%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$wid th_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_47/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/6167b12098cd3964c61980a599764857beb499ac

[Greg Hyde]

It will be interesting to see whats in the ATSB report.

Looks like the aircraft came down in one piece with the cockpit intact.

Lucky for the crew to "walk" way.

May of been a slower (speed) crash since the aircraft looks to be intact.

Second jet airliner (type) crash in Aust. history.

[Greg Hyde]

More vision

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-07/wa-boeing-737-plane-crash/101939554

https://7news.com.au/news/wa/pilots-escape-injury-in-water-bomber-plane-crash-over-fitzgerald-river-national-park--c-9675615

The pilots were very lucky to walk away

[Tristan S]

Far out, buy a lotto ticket boys...

[Greg Hyde]

Article in today's "The West Australian":
A TALE OF SURVIVAL
REBECCA LE MAY
A water bomber that crashed while battling an out-of-control bushfire in the State’s south is believed to have clipped a hill, authorities have revealed.
The two pilots who miraculously walked away from Australia’s first Boeing 737 crash were set to be interviewed by investigators on Tuesday night after being discharged from hospital the previous day.
The water bomber, operated by Canadian contractor Coulson Aviation, crashed in Fitzgerald River National Park at 4.13pm on Monday while helping quell the blaze in Ravensthorpe and Hopetoun, bursting into flames after impact.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said the jet appeared to have “potentially clipped the ridge line and has pancaked down”.
One of the pilots was identified as Coulson’s director of flight operations John Gallagher, pictured below left.
Matthew Boyko is believed to be the second pilot on board.
“Certainly, a horizontal landing as opposed to vertical into the ground makes a big difference,” Mr Mitchell said.
“But these pilots, I’m sure, are very lucky to be alive. We are very fortunate to be standing here and not to be mourning the death of some firefighters. That’s a remarkable outcome.”
Once the site was safe to enter, air crash investigators would gather flight data and cockpit recorders, Mr Mitchell said. “They look at any of those potentially mission-critical aspects of the flight, particularly engineering, to see if that gives us any idea,” he said.
“This is certainly the first 737 collision with terrain that we’ve had in Australia. That in itself is quite significant — for an aircraft that size to come down in Australia.
“There’s nothing to suggest at this stage that there’s any ramifications to the global fleet.”
With the fire the plane was tackling still at the watch and act level — and Cowerdup in the middle of the zone elevated to an emergency warning — air crash investigators were unable to get on site on Tuesday, Mr Mitchell said.
The jet, nicknamed Phoenix, had just completed the second half of a “split” load retardant drop when it smashed into the ground about 20 seconds later, Department of Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm said.
Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson said the pilots’ survival was “nothing short of miraculous”.
After a Coulson C130 Hercules water bomber crashed in NSW in 2020 — killing three crew — the ATSB found major shortcomings in Coulson’s practices.
Mr Mitchell said there could be “serious repercussions” from the investigation, with the ATSB potentially handing recommendations to the operator and broader aviation sector “so something like this doesn’t occur again”.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1622884178340577281

Investigators are expected to visit the crash site today subject to local bushfire

[Greg Hyde]

atsb report (those interested)

https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2023/report/ao-2023-008

[Adam W]

Second jet airliner (type) crash in Aust. history.

What was the first one? I was under the impression that there had not been a jet aircraft crash in Australia until now.

[Greg Hyde]

What was the first one? I was under the impression that there had not been a jet aircraft crash in Australia until now.

A RAAF B707 (A20-103) was lost on a training flight off Woodside Vic. on 29/10/1991. Unfortunately all 5 board were lost.

A20-103 was delivered Saudi Arabian Airlines, HZ-ACG in 1975.

[Greg Hyde]

https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au/88a465dad255eadca83b1beb39b8c194?impolicy=wcms_cro p_resize&cropH=1080&cropW=1920&xPos=0&yPos=0&width=862&height=485

https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au/5cfce95be6a3b90f1c909bfb097a87e7?impolicy=wcms_cro p_resize&cropH=1080&cropW=1620&xPos=150&yPos=0&width=862&height=575

https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au/7a01cd1025dfece058fe600b6754e4c4?impolicy=wcms_cro p_resize&cropH=657&cropW=986&xPos=0&yPos=0&width=862&height=575

The aircraft was burnt out after the crash.

[Greg Hyde]

https://youtu.be/MfpJWcrg8so

[Greg Hyde]

Prelim report out

https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2023/report/ao-2023-008

[Adrian B]

Also here:

ATSB Youtube channel. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=571YrqQBtFg)

[Greg Hyde]

Final report issued

Findings

ATSB investigation report findings focus on safety factors (that is, events and conditions that increase risk). Safety factors include ‘contributing factors’ and ‘other factors that increased risk’ (that is, factors that did not meet the definition of a contributing factor for this occurrence but were still considered important to include in the report for the purpose of increasing awareness and enhancing safety). In addition, ‘other findings’ may be included to provide important information about topics other than safety factors.

Safety issues are highlighted in bold to emphasise their importance. A safety issue is a safety factor that (a) can reasonably be regarded as having the potential to adversely affect the safety of future operations, and (b) is a characteristic of an organisation or a system, rather than a characteristic of a specific individual, or characteristic of an operating environment at a specific point in time.

These findings should not be read as apportioning blame or liability to any particular organisation or individual.

From the evidence available, the following findings are made with respect to the controlled flight into terrain involving Coulson Aviation Boeing 737-3H4, registered N619SW, at Fitzgerald River National Park, Western Australia on 6 February 2023.

Contributing factors

During the retardant drop downhill, the aircraft descended significantly below the operator’s standard target drop height and airspeed and entered a high rate of descent with the engines at idle. While the engines were starting to accelerate at completion of the drop, the airspeed and thrust were insufficient to climb above a ridgeline in the exit path, which resulted in the collision with terrain.

Prior to the retardant drop, the aircraft captain (pilot flying) did not detect there was rising terrain in the exit from the drop, which likely contributed to the captain allowing the aircraft to enter a low energy state during the drop.

After arrival at the fireground, the aircraft captain (pilot flying) declined a ‘Show-Me’ run and was briefed by the Birddog pilot that it would be a downhill drop. Bomber 139 then conducted a go-around from the high ground after the first drop and was led to the target through the smoke on the second drop. These factors likely contributed to the captain not expecting or detecting the rising terrain in the exit path.

The co-pilot (pilot monitoring) did not identify and announce any deviations during the retardant drop, which could have alerted the aircraft captain (pilot flying) to the low-energy state of the aircraft when it descended below the target drop height with the engines at idle.

The flight crew did not brief a target retardant drop height and, contrary to published standard operating procedures, did not set it as a decision height reference on the radio altimeter. Subsequently, the co-pilot (pilot monitoring), who did not believe there was a minimum drop height, did not alert the aircraft captain (pilot flying) to the low-energy state of the aircraft.

Coulson Aviation and the relevant Western Australian Government Departments had not published a minimum retardant drop height in their respective operating procedures for large air tankers. Consequently, the co-pilot (pilot monitoring), who did not believe there was a minimum drop height, did not alert the aircraft captain (pilot flying) to a drop height deviation prior to the collision. (Safety issue)

Other factors that increased risk

The Coulson Aviation practice of recalculating the target retardant drop speed after a partial drop reduced the post-drop stall speed and energy‑height safety margins. (Safety issue)

The Coulson Aviation crew resource management practice of limiting the pilot monitoring (PM) announcements to deviations outside the target retardant drop parameter tolerances increased the risk of the aircraft entering an unrecoverable state before the PM would alert the pilot flying. (Safety issue)

Australian states and territories that engage in Large Air Tanker (LAT) operations have developed their own separate standard operating procedures (SOPs) for LATs and aerial supervision assets. This can result in safety requirements being omitted or misunderstood by the different tasking agencies, such as a minimum drop height, resulting in inconsistencies in the development and application of LAT SOPs. (Safety issue)

Full report:

https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2024/report/ao-2023-008