Pilots safe after B.C. air tanker crashes in Australia
Two pilots are safe after a large air tanker owned by a Vancouver Island company crashed while battling wildfires in western Australia.
A statement from aircraft owner Coulson Aviation, based in Port Alberni, B.C., says the converted Boeing 737 aircraft went down Monday with a two-person crew on board.
"Both pilots walked away from the accident, and have been medically assessed," CEO Wayne Coulson said in the statement on the company's website.
"Our thoughts and our immediate concern is for those team members and their families," he added. "We are very grateful the two team members on Tanker 139 are safe."
The aircraft went down around 4:15 p.m. local time while responding to a wildfire in Fitzgerald River National Park, according to a statement from Australia's Department of Fire and Emergency Services.
"The two occupants removed themselves from the aircraft," the emergency services department said.
"Both were retrieved from the crash site by helicopter and taken to Ravensthorpe Airport, where they were then transferred to a local medical facility."
Tanker 139 is one of the newest aircraft in Coulson Aviation's fleet of six "Fireliner" tankers created from modified commercial passenger jets.
On Jan. 17, the company announced Tanker 139 would be based in Sydney, New South Wales, after Coulson was awarded a two-year firefighting contract from the Australian government.
"Coulson is proud to provide our state-of-the-art aircraft to the federal Australian government," Coulson Aviation Australia CEO Britt Coulson said in a statement last month.
"This aircraft is an incredibly efficient bomber and the crews that operate each of our aircraft are second to none."
The latest crash comes three years after a Coulson air tanker crashed in Australia, killing all three American crewmembers.
The converted C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft was carrying a load of fire retardant on a bombing mission when it went down in the Snowy Manaro region of New South Wales on Jan. 23, 2020.
An investigation by the Australian Transportation Safety Board (ATSB) found the aircraft's left wing clipped a tree before the plane hit the ground and erupted into a catastrophic fuel fire.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air Canada walks back new seat selection policy change after backlash
Air Canada has paused a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares just days after implementing it.
Province boots mayor and council in small northern Ont. town out of office
An ongoing municipal strike, court battles and revolt by half of council has prompted the province to oust the mayor and council in Black River-Matheson.
3 law officers serving warrant are killed, 5 wounded in shootout at North Carolina home, police say
Three officers on a U.S. Marshals Task Force serving a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm were killed and five other officers were wounded in a shootout Monday at a North Carolina home, police said.
'Shocked and concerned': Calgary principal charged with possession of child pornography
A Calgary elementary school principal has been charged with possession of child pornography, authorities announced Monday.
Health authority confirms cockroaches at B.C. hospital, insists they 'do not bite'
The Vancouver Island Health Authority is downplaying what staff describe as a cockroach infestation in a medical unit of Saanich Peninsula Hospital.
Toronto police arrest 12 people, lay 102 charges in major credit card fraud scheme
Toronto police say 12 people are facing a combined 102 charges in connection with an investigation into a major credit fraud scheme.
Winner of US$1.3 billion Powerball jackpot is an immigrant from Laos who has cancer
One of the winners of a historic US$1.3 billion Powerball jackpot last month is an immigrant from Laos who has had cancer for eight years and had his latest chemotherapy treatment last week.
Britney and Jamie Spears settlement avoids long, potentially ugly and revealing trial
Britney Spears and her father Jamie Spears will avoid what could have been a long, ugly and revealing trial with a settlement of the lingering issues in the court conservatorship that controlled her life and financial decisions for nearly 14 years.
WATCH 'Double whammy': What happens if you don't file your taxes by the deadline
The clock is ticking ahead of the deadline to file a 2023 income tax return. A personal finance expert explains why you should get them done -- even if you owe more than you can pay.