Pilot Fatally Injured In The Accident

The pilot of an Australian firefighting airplane was fatally injured when the aircraft went down in a remote and rugged area of New South Wales while water-bombing a wildfire south of Sydney.

The pilot was identified as 43-year-old David Black, according to the newspaper The Australian. The plane went down in bushland west of Ulladulla.

High winds and low visibility reportedly hampered attempts to get a rescue crew into the accident scene. After several attempts, paramedics confirmed that Black had been fatally injured in the accident. The intensity of the fire has prevented officials from recovering his body.

Early reports indicate that one of the airplane's wings separated from the plane during the run, but officials would not confirm that report.

New South Wales Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said in a media briefing that the plane was "coming in to do what it has routinely done, dropping another load of water. At some point, it's crashed. And despite the best efforts of trying to get rescue crews in as quickly as possible in very difficult, dangerous and windy conditions, the insertion of the ambulance rescue officers on arriving at the scene confirmed that the pilot had died."

The type of airplane was not reported.

A statement released by the Rural Fire Service said Black "was well regarded throughout the industry and had served in a leadership role as a Director of the Aerial Agricultural Association of Australia. At the time of his death he had logged around 10,000 flying hours, predominantly in aerial application."

FMI: www.rfs.nsw.gov.au