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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.
Richard Gardner, 53, died while conducting an aerobatic flight in August 2021, with the remnants of his aircraft eventually scattered over a 2.4km area.
The Courier-Mail has reported that 22-year-old Rhiley Kuhrt, who was en route with 24-year-old wife Maree to a medical appointment when their Piper Cherokee (similar aircraft pictured) went down in a storm west of Proserpine, Queensland, had completed 30 hours of recreational pilot licence (RPL) training at a local aero club but left before completing the course.
The E22 Spark aircraft, built by Adelaide-based Bader Aero, is a two-seater with 180m takeoff, a max range of 300+ kilometres, up to 90-minute flight time, and a cruising speed of 110-130 knots.
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.
The plane, registered as VH-SIP, began running rough during a post-maintenance check flight at around 300 feet above ground level, before stalling and crashing, killing the pilot.
