Coulson C-130 missing NSW

[Jean-Pierre]

Damn. Potential CFIT accident again. I wonder if the acceleration after dropping the load could cause a sensory illusion.

[Capt. Underpants]

The video appears to have been taken more than a mile away from the aircraft track. We don't in fact know for sure if the airplane entered smoke or if that smoke merely obscured the view of it - both are possible. I've seen lots of videos of the Coulson C130 dropping retardant and I'm pretty certain that drop wasn't even close to a full load. What isn't known is if that was the last of a load or if they had more on board - which could degrade climb performance significantly.

[Redneck_pilot86]

What isn't known is if that was the last of a load or if they had more on board - which could degrade climb performance significantly.

I imagine there is an emergency dump option in the event of an engine failure or other emergency. I wonder how long it takes to drain the tanks in an emergency.

[J31]

What isn't known is if that was the last of a load or if they had more on board - which could degrade climb performance significantly.

I imagine there is an emergency dump option in the event of an engine failure or other emergency. I wonder how long it takes to drain the tanks in an emergency.

2.2 seconds to dump the entire load.

[Capt. Underpants]

Preliminary report here.

https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/in ... -2020-007/

2 second drop before the crash but only dropped about 1/4 of the load. Clipped a tree with the left wing. CVR was recovered but the last recorded flight was several weeks earlier in the USA. No explanation as to why the CVR didn’t work.

[Mick G]

Preliminary report here.

https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/in ... -2020-007/

2 second drop before the crash but only dropped about 1/4 of the load. Clipped a tree with the left wing. CVR was recovered but the last recorded flight was several weeks earlier in the USA. No explanation as to why the CVR didn’t work.

Is the report insinuating that the wing clipped a tree resulting in the crash? It would seem more likely that loss of spacial awareness in sudden IFR conditions due to the smoke might have had something to do with it, and the wing clipping the tree was just a result of CFIT

[valleyboy]

Instrument rated pilots - finding yourself in IMC should not even be an issue. I suspect they were having aircraft control issues due to the collision with the tree. I suppose that could be deemed CFIT.

[pelmet]

I suspect they were having aircraft control issues due to the collision with the tree. I suppose that could be deemed CFIT.

But the tree is within a few feet of ground impact. Therefore I think it is just the first thing they touched a half second or so before impact.

[marlin]

The tree they clipped (assuming it’s the one pictured) looks very close to the point of impact. Not sure if that would be a direct cause, if they were low enough to hit it in the first place. Especially since the wing clipped the ground at roughly the same spot, as Pelmet said.



There was a SIGMET for severe turbulence in the area below 10k, winds gusting 40kts, combined with the low vis and high DA. That may well be situation normal around that scale of fire, but I’m not an expert. These folks were, and I’d be willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for the time being; a mechanical or weather event beyond the aircraft’s performance capabilities isn’t out of the question.

[Capt. Underpants]

I suspect there will be factors that haven’t been considered in public as yet, but only time will tell. I have serious questions about an operation that flies around with an inop CVR for several months.

[7ECA]

I'm surprised no one commented on the aforementioned AD, about the elevator boost assembly cracks - can cause a loss of hydraulic pressure, reduced controllability...

I mean, it may be entirely possible that the aircraft ended up low on the drop run and ended up being a CFIT, but you'd have to think an experienced crew would be on the lookout for that sort of a trap.

[goldeneagle]

I mean, it may be entirely possible that the aircraft ended up low on the drop run and ended up being a CFIT, but you'd have to think an experienced crew would be on the lookout for that sort of a trap.

https://youtu.be/pkYkHgOv0BY?t=64