Pilots Escape Unscathed From Firebomber Crash-Landing In Australia
Two pilots, believed to be Canadian nationals, escaped without serious injury from the fiery crash of a Boeing 737 that was conducting firefighting operations. The 737-300 “Fireliner,” operated by Coulson Aviation, had reportedly just completed one run on a 3,750-hectare brush fire and was circling for a second pass when it descended and crash-landed on flat terrain and burst into flames.
Both pilots were able to escape and were transported by helicopter to a hospital where they were photographed apparently unharmed. The aircraft was almost completely consumed by the post-crash fire.
The accident occurred in the Fitzgerald River National Park on Monday (Feb. 6) afternoon local time. The site is about 250 nautical miles southeast of Perth. The converted twin-jet tanker took off from the Brusselton-Margaret River Airport around 3:25 p.m. and crashed about 40 minutes into the mission, according to Australian news reports.
| Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources | |
| Date: | Monday 6 February 2023 |
| Time: | c. 16:30 |
| Type: |  Boeing 737-3H4 (WL) |
| Operator: | Coulson Aviation |
| Registration: | N619SW |
| MSN: | 28035/2762 |
| First flight: | 1995-10-18 (27 years 4 months) |
| Engines: | 2 CFMI CFM56-3B1 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Fitzgerald River National Park, WA ( Australia) |
| Phase: | Maneuvering (MNV) |
| Nature: | Fire fighting |
| Departure airport: | Bussellton Airport, WA (BQB/YBLN), Australia |
Bussellton Airport, WA (BQB/YBLN), Australia |
Narrative:
A Boeing 737-300 Air Tanker crashed while engaged in a fire fighting mission in Fitzgerald River National Park, Australia. Both occupants survived the crash. The aircraft was consumed by fire.
The aircraft had been contracted by the Australian National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC) and was flown to Australia in December 2022.
Credit: Coulson Aviation
SINGAPORE—Two pilots have survived after the Boeing 737-300 firefighting tanker they were flying crashed while on a mission in Western Australia.
The aircraft—reg. N619SW, s/n 28035—operated by Coulson Aviation was responding to a bushfire at Fitzgerald River National Park on the afternoon of Feb. 6 when the accident occurred.
It departed Busselton airport at 3:32 p.m. local time before crashing about 40 min. later.
The two pilots were retrieved from the crash site by helicopter and airlifted to hospital. They were “not believed to be seriously injured,” according to ABC News, citing the Western Australia police department.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has launched an investigation into the incident.
Aviation Week Network’s Fleet Discovery shows N619SW was first delivered to Southwest Airlines in September 1995 before it was sold to Coulson Aviation in 2017. The aircraft has flown more than 69,000 hr. across 54,436 cycles. Coulson currently has four converted 737-300s, dubbed “FireLiners.”
This is Coulson’s second crash in Australia. A Lockheed C-130, also on a firefighting mission, crashed in January 2020, killing three onboard.
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