The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has recommended that the industry should consider requiring crew involved in water-bombing firefighting applications to conduct helicopter under-water escape training, ensure that fire buckets used in fire-fighting applications comply with manufacturers' recommendations and that crew wear helmets and personal flotation devices.
The recommendations follow the crash last January of a Bell 206 JetRanger III at Bendora Dam, near Canberra, while water bombing during bush fires. The pilot suffered severe head injuries and was submerged in water during the crash, the cause of which could not be established, says the ATSB.
Source: Flight International
