Firefighting Boeing 737 Crashes in Australia

Coulson Aviation Boeing 737-300 (N619SW) - Daniel Kotronis - AirTeamImages.com

A Boeing 737-300 (N619SW) firefighter operated by Coulson Aviation has crashed near Ravensthorpe, Western Australia, Australia. The 27-year-old aircraft was involved in a firefighting operation in the area.

Coulson Aviation Boeing 737-300 (N619SW) - Daniel Kotronis - AirTeamImages.com

According to our data, flight BMBR139 departed from Busselton Regional Airport (BQB) at 3:32 PM (local time). 

Flight BMBR139 tracked via RadarBox.com

“The ATSB is assembling a team of transport safety investigators from its Perth and Canberra offices with experience in aircraft operations and maintenance, human factors, and data recovery to conduct the evidence collection phase of the investigation”, said the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

The plane crash site near Ravensthorpe, Western Australia

#Australia:Two pilots survive after Coulson B737-300 N619SW large air tanker crashed in Fitzgerald River National Park while battling bushfires. pic.twitter.com/yDzfOTIMOB

— W???????? U?????????? (@W0lverineupdate) February 7, 2023

According to information, the two crew members on board survived. Wayne Coulson, CEO of Coulson Aviation, commented: “Both pilots walked away from the accident and have been medically assessed. Our thoughts and our immediate concern is for those team members and their families”.

Coulson Aviation Boeing 737-3H4 Aircraft Utilization Stats provided by AirNav RadarBox

From the aircraft utilization statistics above, you can see that this aircraft has only been in active service with Coulson Aviation since June 2022, less than 12 months ago.

Upon full operation as a water bomber in Australia, you can see the number of flights jumping up throughout the Summer and then again in the Winter months of the year. 

N619SW started out life with Southwest Airlines in November 1995 and remained in the commercial airline's fleet for 22 years before it was withdrawn from use in August 2017. 

From there, it was placed into storage in multiple airports across the United States and Canada before Coulson Aviation sent the aircraft to Australia as a water bomber.  

Water bombers are often needed in Australia due to the high temperatures causing wildfires in certain areas of the country. 

Overall, the eyes will now turn to investigators who will establish the official cause of the crash, which will be documented in a report in the following weeks and months ahead.