The New South Wales Rural Fire Service confirms three people have died after a C-130 heavy air tanker owned by Coulson Aviation crashed in Australia this afternoon.
The aircraft was deployed to fires in the Snowy Mountains. They lost contact with the machine and the flight tracker stopped. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 no indication at this time what caused the accident,B次元官网网址� NSW RFS commission Shane Fitzsimmons said in a press conference tonight.
There were approximately four other aircraft in the area fighting the fire at the time.
The weather has been hot, dry and windy with smoke and dust in the area. B次元官网网址淚t was another very difficult, aggressive fire day.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲e are deeply saddened to confirm there were three fatalities,B次元官网网址� Coulson Aviation confirmed in a post on its Coulson Aviation - Next Gen Firefighting Facebook page.
The aircraft had departed Richmond, NSW with a load of retardant and was on a firebombing mission. B次元官网网址淭he accident response team has been activated as well as local emergency services. Coulson Aviation will be sending a team to the site to assist in emergency operations.
B次元官网网址淥ur thoughts and prayers are with the families of the three crew members onboard,B次元官网网址� said the statement, signed B次元官网网址淭he Coulson Family.B次元官网网址�
Three people have died after a large air tanker crashed while firefighting in the Snowy Mountains says NSW Premier .
B次元官网网址� 7NEWS Sydney (@7B次元官网网址Sydney)
The NSW RFS reported on Twitter at 7:22 p.m. PST that it was investigating reports of a B次元官网网址渟erious incidentB次元官网网址� involving an aircraft in southern New South Wales.
The NSW RFS media release states that contact was lost with a large air tanker working in the Snowy Monaro area. The wreckage has been located. There was a fireball associated with the crash, according to the NSW RFS spokesperson.
B次元官网网址淔irst and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the three crewB次元官网网址nd with Coulson Aviation, with whom weB次元官网网址檝e had a long association.B次元官网网址�
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said in a news conference that the crash B次元官网网址渄emonstrates the dangerous work being undertaken and demonstrates the conditions that our firefighters are working under. There were in excess of 70 aircraft being used today (Jan. 23 in Australia) alone.
B次元官网网址淭oday is a stark and horrible reminder of the dangerous conditions that our volunteers and emergency services personnel across a number of agencies undertake on a daily basis.B次元官网网址�
Berejiklian said there were 1,700 volunteers and personnel working to control fires a number of fires across New South Wales on the day the plane crashed.
Coulson grounded their large air tankers this afternoon in NSW and Victoria pending a review and out of respect to the families of the crew members, a NSW spokesperson said. No names are being released pending notification of next of kin. All three crew members were U.S. residents, Fitzsimmons said.
Coulson Aviation representatives will be in Sydney, NSW within the next 24 hours.
Coulson and the NSW RFS have worked together for the past four or five years and last year purchased a converted 737 air tanker from the Port Alberni-based aviation company. Coulson is contracted to operate and maintain that 737 for the Rural Fire Service, and also has a second 737 and second C-130 operating in the state of Victoria, Fitzsimmons said.
The NSW Rural Fire Service is investigating reports of a serious incident involving an aircraft in southern NSW this afternoon.
B次元官网网址� NSW RFS (@NSWRFS)
Contact was lost with a Large Air Tanker which was working in the Snowy Monaro area.
