ATSB Begins Investigation Into C-130 Hercules Tanker Crash Written 24 January 2020
A C-130 Hercules from the 302nd Airlift Wing makes a water drop over New Mexico during a May 2007 training exercise. | Technical Sergeant Rick Sforza, USAF, Wikipedia; public domain
Reuters reports that Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) officials are beginning their investigation into Thursday’s C-130 Hercules tanker plane crash which killed three American firefighters working to fight the Australian bushfires. ATSB Chief Commissioner Greg Hood said that the ATSB is “very much into the evidence gathering phase of the investigation” though he indicated that the ATSB would “not be speculating” as to the cause. A team from plane operator Coulson Aviation “was due to arrive in Australia on Saturday, along with the aircraft history and maintenance records.” The investigation is expected to be complicated by the remoteness of the crash site. Additionally, Hood indicated that “little of the plane was intact and potential hazards included aviation fuel and unexploded pressurized canisters.” However, investigators do expect to recover the plane’s black boxes.
Full Story (Reuters)