A Canadair CL-215/415 crashed while dropping water on a wildfire on the slopes of the volcano Etna near Linguaglossa, Sicily, Italy today. Both pilots were killed.
It had just released its load, banked sharply to the right, then crashed into the ground.
The registration number of the aircraft was I-DPCN. It was part of a fleet of 19 CL-415s owned by the Dipartimento dei Vigili del Fuoco, del Soccorso Pubblico e della Difesa Civile (Department of firefighters, public rescue and civil defense) but operated by Babcock, the company that provides the Canadair service in Italy as part of an outsourcing contract.
We send out our sincere condolences to the family, friends, and co-workers of the two pilots.
Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Mickey.
Yes, disbursing and sad. Like landing at an airport, a good approach will yield a good landing (general. statement). If you are a tanker/agricultural pilot, “Sucking-it-up” on base to final should be the first thing you were taught not to attempt, ABORT the run. At the Aero Union Tanker School (Chico,Ca) in the ’70 and 80 it was taught that a go around was appropriate if conditions like smoke, wind change or “something didn’t feel right” (high rate of sink) became a factor. Another part of the training at A.U. was that no approach for a drop should exceed 35 degrees of bank. Or in other words don’t have target fixation. Not Sucking-it-up was one of the hardest mine sets to get into a crop duster’s trainee head trying to be in position for the swath GO AROUND!. I wish I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t get lined up on a field.
Yes, heart wrenching! I have seen this video on three other news outlets. As a learning tool hopefully it will provide insight into the hazards of what air crews are faced with during fire operations. Like the sea………….
It would be very rare, bordering on a number less than zero, to have any kind of lead plane, Bird-dog or even Air Attack in Europe. Likely why we see some of the most aggressive, often unnecessarily so most of us would say, flying with varying results. Give me the system where this type of flying, no way this was a pilots first time or one off, is discouraged with proper training, monitoring and dismissal if necessary. The videos have great value and although disturbing, provide more immediate feedback as to what may have happened and a reminder on how to “not go there” than waiting for some Government agency in Europe to type out a report.
These two videos show drastically different views . Nothing is just a classic stall spin in this business….I hope an experienced 415 pilot can explain these videos…I think they were too low at the entrance. that was an E dump… the pilots mistook the exit route to be clear. They could not make out the protruding terrain features at that altitude because they were approaching at a 90 degree approach (straight towards) which could have hidden the protruding part of the hill.
I would really wonder if this run was done by a lead plane? Because a lot of this looks completely wrong.
My condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of these two pilots.
I am a retired pilot with 49 years flying PBYs, CL215s and CL415s.
This looks to be a small fire in hilly terrain with no threat to valuables. There is no apparent hurry! The proper procedure would be to do a fly over at a safe altitude and assess the situation then plan an entry route a drop and an exit route.
Proper airmanship is extremely important when flying this type of aircraft.
Charlie
They do not use lead planes in Europe. CL-215/415, Q400 and Turbo Firecat (S2) pilots are all what is called “IA rated” in the US. Generally, the airtanker pilots in France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal etc are military/civil defence flyers.
As an aside, I believe that accident videos are a valuable learning tool and if presented in a non-sensationalist manner (as has been done on this site), can only benefit those of us who remain. I can think – off the top of my head, and without knowing the final causes – of several take-away lessons that can be reinforced. After all, most crashes in this industry involve airplanes that are perfectly-functioning until the moment of impact.
There but for the grace, go we all.
Anyone who hasn’t arrived in a tight spot and found it not to be what one thought, is lying. We’ve all been there.
Deepest condolences to the crew who flew into a place and didn’t return.
The nature of firefighting is dynamic. Conditions are never the same. Lift, updrafts, downdrafts, visibility, terrain, constantly increasing and decreasing; aerial fire is still more art than science, and is all judgement. Every time. Load up a wing in a bank, descend into a hole and try to recover without rolling out and one is out of elevator to pull, angle of attack to use, reserve lift, and at that point, most likely power. Some of the most insidious ones are the drops we’ve already done five or six times that day; we know the way in, the way out, and we’ve done it before. Except…we haven’t, because each time is different. The lift we counted on before, the updraft, the good air, the extra bit of turn we were able to get, it’s different. Perhaps we have more water or retardant. Perhaps more fuel. Perhaps now it’s down air or we catch a rotor, or the line bends from where it was and we go a little more into the turn, a little more bank, a little more adjustment, a little farther down the ridge. We climbed out before, but we’re farther in the hole. It’s different.
Anyone who says they haven’t been there is lying. There but for the grace are we still here to observe and comment, but that could have been any one of us. It doesn’t take much.
I too, disagree that the video shouldn’t be shown. We watch, we listen, we talk, we learn. We all have friends who did not return, and whether we knew them half a world away, they did the same job and we know the mountain and the fire the way they know it; the way that only comes from working the fire. We also know, if we’re honest, we could be them, tomorrow, and we watch and we learn and we talk so that it isn’t us, and while we do this, we bow our head for them, a moment in silence for their last flight west, and repeat, under our breath, there, but for the grace, go I.
Bill, I’m sorry, these videos do not NEED to be shown, PERIOD !
Unless you have been as close to several AT crashes as I have, no have no idea how absolutely horrible these crashes are ! No Reason for this, NONE ! Knowing good work, I am totally surprised that you would put these on your site. Just saying it for MANY other people.
@jim…I disagree. All pilots could learn from this video. What happened is analogous to the infamous base turn to final overshoot that results in an accelerated stall/spin/fatal crash. It’s also an opportunity to teach prudential airmanship. But I agree with you, this is a horrible accident. It could have been avoided altogether.
I agree with Grey, the crash footage is useful.
As for the flight, it doesn’t appear the crew made a satisfactory approach to drop and that may have contributed to the accident.
well…its almost 2023. if ya don’t see it here it will be somewhere else. at least us as adults in the aviation field won’t burry these guy in shame like other dirt bag sites. from the short time I’ve been a member here daily the stories and updates are growing. I like it. Jim, yes it horrible watching but like someone said maybe somebody will learn something by the videos and potentially save their own life and others. if you watch more than once move on to something pretty like a CH54B Flying around some mountains. as a 5 inch projectile-man on a ship ya had to go to school. first slide in the class is what a five inch powder casing looks like when it lite off inside the mount. never forgot. my safety practices tightened up a bit. or the ejection seat launch in a hangar. after that pix I always understood to know what the control or switch does before engaging.
What a load of rubbish. Its video like this that people can learn from so we dont make the same mistakes they did.
Sometimes ya don’t get a second chance. Sometimes ya do. Did a control get stuck? I’m knot about Pilot era. I wasn’t in the Airplane so no opinion from me.
I don’t think an expert eye is needed to understand what happened. It’s very sad to watch, knowing two lives were lost. May their families receive support in this tragedy.
I agree with Greg. Let’s pray for these families… This is incredibly sad.
Classic stall/spin/crash. Pilot error unfortunately and entirely preventable.