A Boeing 737 water bomber crashed Monday (February 6th) in the Fitzgerald River National Park in Western Australia, with two pilots on board, who managed to exit the plane.
They are safe and sound, Australian newspaper
WAtoday reports
.
In the middle of the austral summer, Australia is facing a series of fires in the south-west of the country.
Water bombers are sent to extinguish the flames, which have already decimated 900 hectares of the national park.
The living crew
Both pilots were taken to Ravensthorpe Hospital by helicopter, with minor injuries.
The water bomber had taken off from Busselton-Margaret River Airport (Western Australia) at 3:30 p.m. (8:30 a.m. Paris time) and crashed in the national park around 4:15 p.m. (9:15 a.m. Paris time).
He had just dumped the flame retardant, according to
WAtoday.
This story echoes a much more tragic one.
In 2020, three crew members of a C-130 water bomber were killed in the Snowy Mountains (New South Wales, Australia).
The extreme conditions caused by bushfires make piloting an aircraft extremely difficult as it must fly close to the ground and at low speed.
If the device goes too fast, the fire retardant disappears in its trail.