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3 November 2023
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Three dead in Australia after firefighting aircraft crashes in ‘difficult terrain’
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Three people in Australia have died after a small plane crashed while helping fight fires near Mount Isa, in Queensland's north-west. The incident took place on Saturday afternoon, 4 November 2023. An emergency crew was called after the firefighting jet fell in difficult terrain near Mount Isa. "Three people on board were located and confirmed deceased," a Queensland Police spokesperson said in a statement.
The plane was operated by Victorian-based AGAIR, which has a fleet of fire bombers. The company’s chief executive, Rob Boschen, confirmed the Turbo Commander Aircraft crashed “while engaged in fire surveillance operations, south of Cloncurry”.
Police from Mount Isa and a rescue helicopter were initially sent to the crash site, which cops said was in a difficult terrain. The officers made it to the site in the evening and confirmed the three firefighters onboard the aircraft were dead. A representative from the Queensland Ambulance Service described the collision as “unsurvivable”.
The aircraft was the same type as one that is used as the lead plane for the large aerial tanker (LAT), used to fight bushfires. “Both the LAT and the lead plane will be grounded until advised by authorities.”
When it crashed, it was redeploying to Mount Isa from Toowoomba to carry out line scans or infra-red mapping.
One of the three victims has been identified as 22-year-old American mechanical engineer William Joseph Jennings. A crowdfunding campaign posted on behalf of the family says Mr Jennings was a recent graduate of Northeastern University in Boston. He had joined the firefighting effort in Australia "hoping to bring help and relief to those affected".
Following the incident, the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) issued a statement offering their deepest condolences to the families of those onboard. They also confirmed that the aircraft had been contracted to support the Queensland bushfire response.
According to ABC Australia, the small aircraft was redeploying from Toowoomba to Mount Isa to conduct line scans or infra-red mapping, when it crashed. Cops believe that those onboard were mapping areas of recent bushfire activity in western Queensland and gathering vital terrain data for use during bushfire emergencies.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said in a statement the state was in shock. "I'm deeply saddened to hear the news that an aerial firefighting crew have lost their lives after their plane went down north-west of McKinlay," she said, as per the outlet. "The crew onboard this aircraft have been doing everything they could to keep Queenslanders safe. I send my heartfelt condolences to the many people who have been impacted by this shocking incident," she added.
Separately, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also sent his condolences to the families of those killed. "Terribly sad that three brave souls working to help their fellow Australians have lost their lives in Queensland," he said. "A tragic reminder of the dangers those on the front line of bushfires face. Heartfelt condolences to their loved ones and colleagues in this time of grief," he added.
Now, the Australia Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) will launch its own investigation into the crash. "A team of transport safety investigators from the ATSB's Brisbane office with experience in aircraft operations and maintenance are preparing to deploy to the accident site," a spokesperson said. Moreover, the Forensic Crash Unit will also investigate the crash on behalf of the coroner.
Sources: NDTV World, The Guardian
The plane was operated by Victorian-based AGAIR, which has a fleet of fire bombers. The company’s chief executive, Rob Boschen, confirmed the Turbo Commander Aircraft crashed “while engaged in fire surveillance operations, south of Cloncurry”.
Police from Mount Isa and a rescue helicopter were initially sent to the crash site, which cops said was in a difficult terrain. The officers made it to the site in the evening and confirmed the three firefighters onboard the aircraft were dead. A representative from the Queensland Ambulance Service described the collision as “unsurvivable”.
The aircraft was the same type as one that is used as the lead plane for the large aerial tanker (LAT), used to fight bushfires. “Both the LAT and the lead plane will be grounded until advised by authorities.”
When it crashed, it was redeploying to Mount Isa from Toowoomba to carry out line scans or infra-red mapping.
One of the three victims has been identified as 22-year-old American mechanical engineer William Joseph Jennings. A crowdfunding campaign posted on behalf of the family says Mr Jennings was a recent graduate of Northeastern University in Boston. He had joined the firefighting effort in Australia "hoping to bring help and relief to those affected".
Following the incident, the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) issued a statement offering their deepest condolences to the families of those onboard. They also confirmed that the aircraft had been contracted to support the Queensland bushfire response.
According to ABC Australia, the small aircraft was redeploying from Toowoomba to Mount Isa to conduct line scans or infra-red mapping, when it crashed. Cops believe that those onboard were mapping areas of recent bushfire activity in western Queensland and gathering vital terrain data for use during bushfire emergencies.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said in a statement the state was in shock. "I'm deeply saddened to hear the news that an aerial firefighting crew have lost their lives after their plane went down north-west of McKinlay," she said, as per the outlet. "The crew onboard this aircraft have been doing everything they could to keep Queenslanders safe. I send my heartfelt condolences to the many people who have been impacted by this shocking incident," she added.
Separately, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also sent his condolences to the families of those killed. "Terribly sad that three brave souls working to help their fellow Australians have lost their lives in Queensland," he said. "A tragic reminder of the dangers those on the front line of bushfires face. Heartfelt condolences to their loved ones and colleagues in this time of grief," he added.
Now, the Australia Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) will launch its own investigation into the crash. "A team of transport safety investigators from the ATSB's Brisbane office with experience in aircraft operations and maintenance are preparing to deploy to the accident site," a spokesperson said. Moreover, the Forensic Crash Unit will also investigate the crash on behalf of the coroner.
Sources: NDTV World, The Guardian