New standard operating procedures adopted for large air tankers

“This document represents a new national standard for large air tanker operations in Australia, with clear requirements for aerial supervision, task profiles and communication protocols,” said ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell.

“Large air tankers, which can quickly move around the country in response to operational need, play an increasingly critical role in the management and suppression of bushfires in Australia.

“As such, the implementation of national air tanker standard operating procedures represents a significant milestone in the ongoing maturity of the aerial firefighting safety system in Australia.

“We welcome the introduction of these national SOPs and acknowledge the high level of collaboration and consultation required by all stakeholders responsible for their development and implementation.”

N619SW, operated by Coulson Aviation, was performing firefighting operations in Fitzgerald River National Park when it hit a ridgeline performing a second partial retardant drop, destroying the aircraft; the pilots escaped with minor injuries.

“The ATSB found that the accident drop was conducted at a low height and airspeed downhill, which required the use of idle thrust and a high descent rate,” the ATSB said in its 2024 final report.

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“The delay in the engines reaching go-around thrust at the end of the drop resulted in the aircraft’s height and airspeed (energy state) decaying as it approached rising terrain, which was not expected or detected by the pilot flying.

“Consequently, the aircraft’s airspeed and thrust were insufficient to climb above a ridgeline in the exit path, which resulted in a controlled flight into terrain.

“The operator’s practice of recalculating, and lowering, their target drop speed after a partial load drop also contributed to the low energy state of the aircraft leading up to the collision with terrain.”

According to the investigators, one contributing factor was how Australian states and territories had “developed their own separate standard operating procedures for large air tankers engaged in firefighting operations”.

“The investigation found differing standards between jurisdictions could result in safety requirements being omitted or misunderstood by the various tasking agencies, such as a minimum drop height,” said Mitchell.

“This resulted in inconsistencies in the development and application of large air tanker standard operating procedures (SOPs).”

Coulson Aviation has been contacted for comment.