Staff reporter

The cause of the crash of the Coulson Aviation-operated 737 air tanker, which occurred during firefighting activities on 6 February, has not yet been identified in the ATSB’s preliminary report. The 737, callsign “Bomber 139”, was making a second drop after releasing three quarters of its retardant tank on the first go-around.

Keven Wilson’s contributions include animals from iconic state destinations such as Ningaloo Reef, the Margaret River Region, the Kimberley and Perth.

Contaminated pitot tubes were the likely culprit in an issue with a 737 freighter’s altimeter that forced it to return to Perth in June 2022, the ATSB has said.

An ATSB report on the November 2022 accident near Victoria’s Moorabbin Airport, involving Hughes 269C three-seat light helicopter, was unable to find the cause of the defect.

The ATSB said in a report into the incident that cabin altitude had exceeded 9,550 ft and exposure to altitudes within the 11,000 ft to 20,000 ft range can lead to “cognitive impairment”.

Despite “almost certainly” wearing a helmet and four-point restraints, the pilot of the plane, registered VH-ACQ, lost their life when the AT-400’s fuel tanks ruptured during the accident near Moree, NSW, causing a fatal fire.