Fire Fighting 737 Crashed in WA

[nivsy]

Coulson 737 down in WA....no other details as yet.

[SOPS]

Just breaking now… a 737 fighting a bush fire in WA’s South West has just crashed. Crew are alive and being taken to hospital by rescue helicopter.

[givemewings]

737 fire fighting aircraft reported "down" in WA

HOPETOUN, WA

2 crew onboard reported ok and taken to hospital.

Reported on FB "WA Incidents" page and verbally on 6pm 9 news broadcast

Residents of the area posting that it was BMR139 of Coulston

Not much info, the words "crash" and "down" being used but you know the media.

[Alice Kiwican]

Originally Posted by SOPS

Just breaking now… a 737 fighting a bush fire in WA’s South West has just crashed. Crew are alive and being taken to hospital by rescue helicopter.

I see Ch 7 news report says 2 crew taken to hospital. How many crew in a firefighting 737?

[pinkpanther1]

N619SW a 27 year old 737-300

[Squawk7700]

2 pilots survived and are on the way to hospital.

2.5 years since the Coulson C130 crash. We’re they Aussie pilots or did Coulson fly them as part of the 10 year support package?

[givemewings]

Ya beat me to it SOPS... weren't any posts when I checked, oops

Report from local Perth page: WA INCIDENT ALERTS

BREAKINGNEWS
5.30PM

Anon says a water bomber(AIR INTEL) plane just crashed in Hopetoun and Unconfirmed reports both crew have survived.

Update
5.50pm
Two people were onboard when it crashed but have been able to leave the crash and are now in hospital.

It's reporting that the Aircraft as a "737 Waterbomber".

6PM
The plane, believed to be a firefighting tanker, went down in the Fitzgerald River National Park. The two on board have been taken to hospital.

[43Inches]

Amazing to have survived if it was some sort of bombing run gone wrong. Good to hear they got out with what sounds like minor injuries. Will be interesting to find out what happened. Hopefully no one else on board, it does sound like from the wording they were the only ones at this stage.

[VHOED191006]

It does appear to be quite miraculous if that is the case.

[PoppaJo]

Twitter

[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.

[givemewings]

Originally Posted by 43Inches

Amazing to have survived if it was some sort of bombing run gone wrong. Good to hear they got out with what sounds like minor injuries. Will be interesting to find out what happened. Hopefully no one else on board, it does sound like from the wording they were the only ones at this stage.

the playback in FR24 would suggest it was during a run. I took a screenshot but can't post here. There was also two other Aircraft in the vicinity, "BDOG123" and what looks to be a single of some type, can't recall the type now. I know FR24 isn't fail-safe but the 737 track stops not far past the river

[VHOED191006]

Originally Posted by givemewings

the playback in FR24 would suggest it was during a run. I took a screenshot but can't post here. There was also two other Aircraft in the vicinity, "BDOG123" and what looks to be a single of some type, can't recall the type now. I know FR24 isn't fail-safe but the 737 track stops not far past the river

On the topic of FR24, last data point has recorded the aircraft at 101kts GS, descending through 700ft, with a V/S of around -1100fpm.

[givemewings]

Originally Posted by VHOED191006

On the topic of FR24, last data point has recorded the aircraft at 101kts GS, descending through 700ft.

I'm using the phone app, and Prune won't let me upload the animation, but here's the last frame with the 737 on it if you want to find it in the playback

[Desert Flower]

Water bomber down in Western Australia

A water bombing plane has crashed while fighting two raging bushfires in a southern region of Western Australia.

The Boeing 737-3 belonging to Coulson Aviation with two people on board went down over the Fitzgerald River National Park on Monday at around 4.40pm (WST) and crashed in the forest between Ravensthorpe and Hopetoun.

Both pilots survived the crash and were able to free themselves from the wreckage but sustained minor injuries, WA police told Daily Mail Australia.

'The two pilots on board were retrieved from the crash site by helicopter and airlifted to Ravensthorpe Airport,' a police spokesperson said.

DF.

[Saintly]

Will Coulsen Aviation send another 737 tanker over to WA? I assume the crashed aircraft is a wreck now and nothing from it can be salvaged.

More importantly glad the two crew members are ok.

[Kulwin Park]

Originally Posted by Saintly

Will Coulsen Aviation send another 737 tanker over to WA? I assume the crashed aircraft is a wreck now and nothing from it can be salvaged.

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

[Sailvi767]

Originally Posted by Kulwin Park

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

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.

[Capn Bloggs]

Originally Posted by Saintly

Will Coulsen Aviation send another 737 tanker over to WA?

According to this:

https://www.nafc.org.au/fleet/

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

[Finn47]

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