Fire Fighting 737 Crashed in WA

[WingNut60]

Try TACA flight 110.

However, in this case, I can't imagine how you'd injure the crew without damaging the aircraft

[Capn Bloggs]

Originally Posted by Kulwin Park

How do you know that??? Nobody has even seen pictures yet to determine the condition of the hull.

Seriously? Probably take to the cockpit with a Phillips head screwdriver for bits but that would be about it. Especially a 27 year old 737.

[BNEAU]

Originally Posted by Capn Bloggs

There isn't another 737 LAT in the Australian firebombing fleet.

There are two at RAAF Richmond, Bomber 137 (N137CG) and Bomber 210 (N138CG).

I’ve heard that the aircraft is a hull loss. Going to be a task getting it out. Though good to hear that it was a good outcome for the crew.

[Start4]

Originally Posted by Sailvi767

I have never known a airliner that made a off airport landing and flew again. I am sure it’s happened but incredibly unlikely. Even if zero damage the recovery effort would almost certainly render the aircraft unairworthy.

TACA 110

[PPRuNeUser0154]

Originally Posted by 43Inches

I heard other assets were bombing the wreck to suppress fires as the crew escaped. Whether the wreck itself or it landed in/near the bushfire as well not sure.

Is there a protocol for suppressing any resultant fires if a fire fighting aircraft goes down? I can imagine it's potentially catastrophic in terms of making the fires worse especially for major forest fires.

[LTP90]

Originally Posted by Finn47

Perhaps he meant from the US? Coulson had six of them, now obviously five left.

Coulson, to my knowledge has only converted 3 of the 737's they have, their U.S. tanker numbers: 137, the red/White "Boeing" paint job.138 they sold to Australia and it now goes by 210, and 139 the one involved in this accident.
hypothetically if 137 is not already in Australia and not in heavy winter maintenance, it could be shipped over. Some of the U.S. Forest Service contracts start in March, but I do not know Coulsons start dates, if I remember right 137 has one of the earlier start dates.

[LTP90]

Originally Posted by uxb99

Is there a protocol for suppressing any resultant fires if a fire fighting aircraft goes down? I can imagine it's potentially catastrophic in terms of making the fires worse especially for major forest fires.

Yes, at least in the US, the protocol is put the fire out by all means. There have many several cases where the aircraft fire resulted in a large expansion of the fire perimeter, and loss of control lines.

[Squawk7700]

Temps in the mid 30’s C over there at the moment.

[PoppaJo]

Hard to imagine how it got down with no casualties after seeing the footage of the Canberra accident, happens very quick. Looks more like a forced landing perhaps, they got caught out in some specific situation, the only exit path was down, they must have had decent vis when making the decision, other aircraft had it in sight and able to distinguish flames. Will be interesting to see the photos and how much of it remains, sounds like it might still be in one piece.

[mickjoebill]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-...ital/101938070

[vegassun]

Originally Posted by pinkpanther1

N619SW a 27 year old 737-300

An old Southwest Airlines 300 sounds like.

[Capt Fathom]

So you can put a 737 down in the bush, and it hardly makes the news! If it had a kangaroo on the tail…….

[Obidiah]

This story is struggling to pass the pub test.

A PA28 lands on a golf course and it's all over the news, a 737 crashes and virtually nothing??
A 737 crashes, supposedly on drop run into the bush and both crew only minor injuries??
FR24 has GS at 100kts ??

[KRviator]

Originally Posted by Obidiah

This story is struggling to pass the pub test.

A PA28 lands on a golf course and it's all over the news, a 737 crashes and virtually nothing??

And that should tell you all you need to know about the so-called "news" media both here and abroad.

I don't subscribe to the illuminati, flat earth society or any of that rubbish, but I do believe we only hear on the 'news' what editors and producers want us to hear, which is usually the most sensationalist tripe they can find to generate advertising revenue and clicks.

[logansi]

First images

[mcoates]

Good job landing near the road for recovery access ! Lucky boys !

[logansi]

Talking to someone in the know, apparently, the entire accident sequence was recorded by 2 of the HD cameras on the lead plane, doubt it will be made public for a while but will be an incredible bit of evidence for the investigators

[43Inches]

I think the picture paints the reason for survival, flat terrain, low scrub, cockpit looks intact. Fire looks towards the aft where I presume fuel has leaked.

It's definitely not going to fly again, that's not going to be an intact recovery, the back end will be charcoal.

A PA28 lands on a golf course and it's all over the news, a 737 crashes and virtually nothing??
A 737 crashes, supposedly on drop run into the bush and both crew only minor injuries??
FR24 has GS at 100kts ??

No spectacular footage at the time and now today the earthquake in Turkey/Syria trumps any local news about a plane crash in the middle of nowhere where the pilots survived. Had it been a slow news day it would have headlined.

Talking to someone in the know, apparently, the entire accident sequence was recorded by 2 of the HD cameras on the lead plane, doubt it will be made public for a while but will be an incredible bit of evidence for the investigators

Birddog overhead was most likely spotting for them and recording the whole thing.

[mickjoebill]

Originally Posted by Obidiah

This story is struggling to pass the pub test.

A PA28 lands on a golf course and it's all over the news, a 737 crashes and virtually nothing??

A light plane crash has few if any political strands which can inhibit a journo going full on with dramatic language.
It is the role the aircraft had which is tempering reporting. Firefighting is a sensitive subject with the public, I've never seen negative press in Australia of the cockups made by volunteer firefighters. The press and pollies tread gingerly.



​​​​

[fdr]

Originally Posted by WingNut60

Try TACA flight 110.

However, in this case, I can't imagine how you'd injure the crew without damaging the aircraft

Originally Posted by Capn Bloggs

Seriously? Probably take to the cockpit with a Phillips head screwdriver for bits but that would be about it. Especially a 27 year old 737.

flat head, the LRUs are Dzus mainly...
I think the hint that the other fire bombers were suppressing the fire while the crew escaped might suggest that there won't be a sudden increase in available EADI, EHSIs, FMS CDUs and EIS's etc from the site.

Gonna be interesting to see what plonks a B733LAT into the weeds at a reported approach speed of 101GS. Many birds "thermalling" around the fires of WA these days?

Wouldn't be questioning SOPs until a lot more info comes out, Coulson had a bad day with the Herc, stuff happens in that environment occasionally, even to competent operators.

Boys are fortunate that the industry hasn't yet started using the early years B738 etc, the ones that have the "fold here" ring frames that were bogus manufactured non compliant to the TCDS production data... only about 2000 of those out there. Those are the ones that we have seen zigged zagged after relatively low energy off piste events in the carribean, Indonesia, and other exotic ports of call.