The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is launching a transport safety investigation into an accident involving a 737 large air tanker (firebomber aircraft) in the Fitzgerald River National Park south of Ravensthorpe, WA on Monday afternoon.
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.
Initially, investigators will seek to interview the pilots and witnesses to understand the circumstances of the accident, and determine the accessibility of the accident site with the aim of conducting an on-site examination of the aircraft wreckage.
The scope of the investigation and its timeframe will be determined as the ATSB builds its understanding of the nature of the accident.
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The ATSB will have no further information available on Monday and will provide further updates to media on Tuesday. At this stage the ATSB is unable to facilitate interview requests.
Please email media@atsb.gov.au requesting to be notified of further media statements and media activities in relation to this accident.