Safety fears flagged earlier over make of plane in death crash

The aircraft that crashed on the NSW south coast while fighting bushfires is the same make of plane aviation investigators had raised safety concerns about seven months ago.

The plane's 43-year-old pilot, David Black, died on Thursday morning when his fixed-wing aircraft crashed in rugged terrain while water-bombing a bushfire about 40 kilometres west of Ulladulla. The husband and father of three young children was from Trangie in central NSW.

It is the fourth fatal accident in Australia involving an M18 Dromader aircraft since 2006. Of those four, it is the second to have crashed while fighting bushfires.

Narromine mayor Bill McAnally said the small Trangie community of 1000 people would feel the loss immensely. ''He was trying to do the right thing, fighting the fires and for something like this to happen - it's just tragic,'' he said. ''We really feel for his family.''

He described Mr Black as a decent, hard-working family man with a big heart. ''It's a great loss to our area because he was a real community man,'' he said.

"It is a shame that something like this happened as people like the pilot so bravely put their lives on the line to protect communities during the often devastating effects bushfires can have.

"And to think some of the fires are deliberately lit is shocking as accidents like this can happen to people trying to protect communities so there should be more repercussions for people who do the wrong thing by lighting a fire, they should really think about what their actions can lead to."

A Trangie resident said the death had left the town stunned.

"It's unbelievable," he said.

"I know the pilot personally. He runs an aviation business here and is a very experienced pilot."

Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons expressed his sympathy to the man's family.

"It's a tragedy for the fire fighting community but first and foremost it's a tragedy for this man's family," he said.

"He's a husband with young children and we're all acutely aware that there's a family suffering today because their dad didn't come home."

Following the spate of accidents, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau released a report in April that found a range of safety issues arose when Dromader aircraft were flown at take-off weights above 4.2 tonnes.

''The investigation identified several safety issues indirectly arising from the operation of the M18 aircraft at increased weights,'' the bureau's report in April said.

''Though some of these issues were minor in isolation, collectively the increase in risk was more significant.''

The M18 Dromader involved in the latest crash was operated by Rebel Ag in Trangie, and had been contracted to the Rural Fire Service for firefighting efforts.

As a result of the investigation earlier this year, Rebel Ag told the bureau it would make a raft of modifications to its aircraft, including fitting vortex generators on their wings. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority subsequently approved the changes.

The manager of Rebel Ag declined to comment on Thursday.

Dromader planes are commonly used for crop dusting but are often pressed into fighting bushfires during summer.

A bureau spokesman said on Thursday it was important not to pre-judge the accident despite the findings of its report in April. A team of three investigators, including an avionics engineer, were expected to reach the scene of the crash in bushland by early Friday.

Cooler weather conditions and light winds forecast for Friday will provide a reprieve for firefighters as three major fires continue to burn in the Blue Mountains.

The second highest alert level - ‘‘watch and act’’ - is in place for the State Mine fire at Lithgow, the Mount Victoria fire and the Springwood fire.
Fires at Minmi, Lake Macquarie and Wollondilly have all been downgraded to advice level.

The State Mine fire crossed the Bells Line of Road on Thursday afternoon, but the Rural Fire Service said firefighters, supported by waterbombing aircraft, were gaining the upper hand on that blaze.

Crews continued backburning operations in the area overnight on Thursday.

The fire was still active to the south of Hartley Vale near Mount York, and to the west of Lawsons Long Alley, while there was the potential spot fires in the Grose Valley.

Residents in the Lithgow and Mt Victoria areas have been advised to monitor conditions and be prepared to take action if needed.

However residents who evacuated from Mount Tomah and Berambing can now return to their homes, the RFS said.

Mount Irvine and Mount Wilson residents have been advised to closely monitor the fire situation and take advice from firefighters in the area.

The RFS said firefighters had contained spot fires associated with the Mount Victoria fire and there was no longer any immediate threat to property. The fire continued to burn near Blackheath and could threaten Mt Victoria, Shipley, Hartley Vale, Little Hartley, the Megalong Valley and the Kanimbla Valley. Crews were patrolling the fireground.

The RFS said there were no properties under immediate threat from the Springwood fire, which is burning within containment lines near Grose Road and Chapman Parade at Faulconbridge.

Crews were patrolling the fireground to ensure it did not breach containment lines.

A total fire ban remains in place for the Greater Sydney, Greater Hunter, Illawarra/Shoalhaven and Central Ranges areas until further notice.

The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting a sunny day in the lower Blue Mountains on Friday with areas of frost early on Friday morning.

Light winds will become westerly at 15 to 25 km/h in the middle of the day, then tending south-westerly at 15 to 20 km/h in the evening.

Daytime maximum temperatures between 16 and 24 degrees are forecast.