NSW bushfires: Dead US firefighters identified as Paul Clyde Hudson, Ian H. McBeth, Rick A. DeMorgan
Investigators have begun searching the wreckage of a large tanker aircraft that burst into a fireball in the Snowy Mountains region on Thursday, killing three US crew members.
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Investigators have begun searching the wreckage of a large tanker aircraft that crashed while battling devastating bushfires in southeastern NSW, killing three US crew members.
The C-130 Hercules plane slammed into the ground Thursday shortly after dropping a load of fire retardant on a blaze in the Snowy Mountains region.
The plane burst into a fireball on impact and debris was strewn over a kilometre-long stretch of land, with little of the large aircraft left intact, NSW police superintendent Paul Condon told a press conference near the site.
Greg Hood, chief of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said it would be “premature” to speculate on the cause of the crash, but he noted that strong winds had raked much of the fire zones of southeastern Australia Thursday.
“We will be working with the Australian bureau of meteorology specifically to look at the temperature, the wind direction and the impact that may have had on the aircraft,” he said.
“We have nothing to suggest there was a systemic fault” with the C-130, which was contracted to the firefighting effort by Canadian firm Coulson Aviation, he said.
Hood said several people who witnessed the crash would also be questioned
The three American firefighters who died in the fiery crash of their Hercules waterbombing aircraft in NSW yesterday have been identified as ex-US military family men.
Pilots Captain Ian H. McBeth, 45, First Officer Paul Clyde Hudson, 42, and Flight Engineer Rick A. DeMorgan Jr, 43, have been described as “fallen heroes” by their bosses at Canadian aviation giant Coulson Aviation.
The men’s families are expected to arrive in Sydney over the weekend.
Father-of-three Captain McBeth had spent his entire career at the controls of C-130 Hercules aircraft and was a qualified instructor and evaluator. He lived at Great Falls, Montana with his wife Bowdie and their three children Abigail, Calvin and Ella.
“Ian’s love for his wife and children was evident for anyone who spent time around him,” Coulson Aviation said in a statement.
“Ian was a highly qualified and respected C-130 pilot with many years fighting fire, both in the military and with Coulson Aviation.”
He was a member of the Montana Air National Guard and served with the Wyoming Air National Guard.
First Officer Hudson was a highly-decorated ex-marine who lived in Buckeye, Arizona with his wife Noreen.
He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1999 and spent the next 20 years serving in the US Marine Corps in a number of positions including as a C-130 pilot.
He retired as a Lt Colonel and held a Masters in both Business Administration and Information Technology Management from the Naval Postgraduate School.
Flight Engineer DeMorgan, from Navarre, Florida, leaves two children Lucas and Logan.
He spent 18 years in the US Air Force as a flight engineer on the C-130 with more than 4000 hours as a flight engineer and nearly 2000 hours in a combat environment.
“Rick’s passion was always flying and his children,” the company said.
“Our deepest condolences are with the family and friends of our fallen heroes.”
Mr DeMorgan’s sister, Jen DeMorgan told friends her brother was a hero.
“He was a beloved friend, colleague, father, son and most of all brother,” she said.
“To most the sky was the limit, to them it was home. Rest in the arms of angels.”
The identification of the three men follow NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announcing a state memorial on February 23 to honour those who had died this fire season.
Ms Berejiklian said the memorial would give members of the public a chance to recognise the sacrifices made by the men and women fighting the bushfires.
It would be an important step in healing and rebuilding, Ms Berejiklian also said.
The memorial will be attended by RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons who said “while we have seen tragedy we have also the best of the community”.
Originally published as NSW bushfires: Dead US firefighters identified as Paul Clyde Hudson, Ian H. McBeth, Rick A. DeMorgan