Two people have managed to escape a Boeing 737 crash after the large air tanker crashed while battling two bushfires in Western Australia on Monday afternoon.
The pilots, who were the only ones on board, remarkably managed to escape with minor injuries after the water bomber plunged in the Fitzgerald River National Park.
The crash occurred around 4:40pm, after the Boeing 737 Fireliner took off from the Busselton-Margaret River airport at around 3:25pm to respond to a fire in the area.
“The two pilots on-board were retrieved from the crash site by helicopter and airlifted to Ravensthorpe Health Service,” WA Police said in a statement.
A St John Ambulance WA spokesperson confirmed to the ABC that the two individuals were not seriously injured.
Shire of Ravensthorpe President, Keith Dunlop, expressed his concern for the pilots and their families.
“I hope the pilots aren’t too badly injured, and I certainly wish them a most speedy recovery. Let’s just hope they are all okay and best of luck to their family,” he told the public broadcaster.
The area where the crash took place remains under a Bushfire Watch and Act warning on Monday.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) detected an emergency beacon activation from the firebomber approximately 185 kilometres west of Esperance and issued a statement saying, “There were no other crew aboard the firebomber when it crashed.”
Coulson Aviation Group, the owners of the 737 Fireliner, expressed their relief that the two pilots on-board were safe.
“Both pilots walked away from the accident, and have been medically assessed. Our thoughts and our immediate concern is for those team members and their families,” it said in a statement.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and the Western Australia Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) have both launched separate investigations into the crash. The ATSB has assembled a team of investigators from its Perth and Canberra offices, who are experienced in aircraft operations, maintenance, human factors, and data recovery.
“Initially, investigators will seek to interview the pilots and witnesses to understand the circumstances of the accident, and determine the accessibility of the accident site with the aim of conducting an on-site examination of the aircraft wreckage,” a statement from the ATSB read
The investigation aims to understand the cause of the crash and the circumstances surrounding it.
The scope and time frame of the investigation will be determined later as the ATSB gains a better understanding of the nature of the accident.