Bushfires: US heroes came to help, lost in ball of flames as air tanker crashed
Firefighters watched on in horror as a Lockheed C-130 Hercules erupted in a fire ball.
Devastated firefighters watched on in horror as a Lockheed C-130 Hercules crewed by three American firefighters erupted in a fire ball after it crashed in the Snowy Mountains during a routine water bombing run in NSW’s south.
Anguished onlookers shared an emotional embrace in the realisation the firefighters had been killed, as the local NSW Rural Fire Service relayed news of the tragedy to Command: “Message this is red … Crashed … It’s just a ball of flames.” The three Americans who had travelled to Australia to save lives in the country’s worst bushfire disaster had lost theirs.
Listen to the distress call here
With visibility poor and conditions treacherous, military personnel helped emergency services reach the crash site at Peak View and confirm the worst — a large air tanker down and no survivors.
Under contract to the NSW RFS from Coulson Aviation in Canada, the C-130 was in its fourth or fifth year in Australia, and the US crew was well known to local firefighters.
Coulson Aviation immediately grounded its other aircraft in Australia as the owners boarded a flight to Sydney to support devastated colleagues of the men.
Scott Morrison spoke to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday morning to convey his condolences to the United States for the three lost firefighters.
The day the three US firefighters died, the US government had announced that it was sending more resources to help Australia fight bushfires including extra air assistance and three 10 person Incident Management Teams. There are already 200 US government personnel on the ground.
US Ambassador to Australia Arthur Culvahouse Jr said on Thursday night he was deeply saddened by the news of the deaths of three Americans.
“The brave Americans who died near Snowy Monaro died helping Australia in its time of need,” Mr Culvahouse said in a statement.
US Vice President Mike Pence led tributes to the three firefighters killed in the crash, tweeting his condolences to the men’s families.
Karen & I send our prayers & deep condolences to the families of the 3 brave American firefighters who died in AUS yesterday while on their way to battle the terrible bushfires. Our Nation will always honor the memory of those lost in the line of duty working to help others.
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) January 23, 2020
RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said the crew members were “absolute professionals” who had many friends in the tight-knit firefighting community.
“Our hearts are with all of those … suffering the loss of three remarkable, well-respected crew who have invested so many decades of their life into firefighting and fire management and who are professionals in the aviation sector,” he said.
Deeply saddened to learn of the death of 3 people in the crash of a C130 fire fighting aircraft, north east of Cooma in NSW earlier today. My deepest condolences to the loved ones, friends and colleagues of those who have lost their lives. Such a terrible tragedy.
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) January 23, 2020
“The owners of Coulson … are in the process of making contact with the loved ones of the victims.”
He said the C-130 had been operating routinely, travelling from Richmond to the Snowy Monaro for waterbombing activities, when it suddenly went off air just before 1.30pm on Thursday.
“We simply lost contact with the machine and the flight tracker that we use stopped,” Commissioner Fitzsimmons said.
“There is no indication at this stage of what caused the accident.”
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the crash was a reminder that the fire season was far from over, and how every person defending life and property was at risk. “Today again we’ve seen the tragic consequences where three people have lost their lives,” she said.
“It was a company contracted by the RFS to undertake that vital work, and our deepest condolences go to those families affected.”
Coulson’s decision to immediately halt operations in Australia was “absolutely warranted”, Commissioner Fitzsimmons said. “It will have an effect on our aerial capacity (to contain bushfires) but I support them 100 per cent.
“They’re very mindful of the emotional and psychological effect such a tragedy will have on the rest of their workforce.”
To the families of the three Americans who have lost their lives fighting our bushfires, and all the citizens of the United States, we offer our heartfelt condolences. Forever your loss will be ours. Australia is in mourning.
— Joe Hockey (@JoeHockey) January 23, 2020
At least 80 fires are burning in NSW and half are not contained.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau launched an immediate investigation into the crash with the intention of releasing a preliminary report within 30 days.
A spokesman said a team of transport safety investigators with experience in aircraft operations, maintenance and data recovery had been deployed to the crash site to collect evidence. “ATSB investigators will analyse recorded data, review weather information and interview witnesses,” he said.
The National Transportation Safety Board in the US has also been notified.
Additional reporting: Richard Ferguson
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