Three Americans have died after a water tanker plane crashed in a fireball while fighting bushfires in southeastern Australia.
All three of the C-130 Hercules plane’s crew were killed when it went down near Peak View, in Australia’s alpine region, close to a blaze burning out of control in the Wadbilliga National Park, authorities said.
Shane Fitzsimmons,new South Wales Rural Fire Services Commissioner said ‘tragically there appears to be no survivors as a result of the crash down in the Snowy Monaro area’.
“The tanker impacted heavily with the ground and initial reports are that there was a large fireball associated with the impact of the plane as it hit the ground. There is no indication at this stage of what’s caused the accident.”
A spokesman for Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority said the aircraft went into a valley to drop the retardant and didn’t come out.
