What happened
On the day of the accident, an Air Tractor aircraft, registration B134, departed Richmond to perform initial attack duties for a firefighting operation. The crew, consisting of a pilot, co-pilot, and flight engineer, was operating during a period of intense aerial firefighting activity. Prior to the flight, another aircraft, B1 .37, had already determined that conditions were unsafe to continue and declined to return to the Adaminaby area due to high winds.
While en route to the fire-ground, the crew of B134 communicated with the pilot of B137, who warned of extreme wind conditions. Despite this information, the state operations controller allowed the mission to proceed to gather intelligence on the fire's progression. After arriving at the Adaminaby fire-ground, the crew found smoke and wind levels too high for a retardant drop and were subsequently re-tasked to the Good Good fire near Peak View.
At approximately 13:15, the aircraft arrived over the new target area. The crew performed several circuits at varying altitudes before initiating a partial retardant drop at approximately 190 feet AGL. Video evidence from ground personnel shows that immediately following the release of approximately 1,200 US gallons of retardant, the aircraft began a series of maneuvers. After a period of being obscured by smoke, the aircraft was observed descending to a very low altitude. Shortly after, the aircraft experienced a significant left roll and struck the terrain. The impact triggered a fuel-fed fire, and all 3 crew members were fatally injured.
Findings
- The aircraft was performing a low-level aerial application of fire retardant when the accident occurred.
- The mission continued despite prior warnings from another aircraft regarding dangerous wind conditions.
- The aircraft's flight path following the drop involved a descent to a very low height and a sudden roll into the ground.