As ferocious fires tore through NSW during Black Summer, weary firefighters felt a profound sense of relief when they saw air-tankers flying overhead.
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That's why three American firefighters who died when their water-bombing plane crashed in January 2020 will always be honoured among Australia's fallen, Rural Fire Service field operations deputy commissioner Peter McKechnie told an inquest.
"They'll be remembered by the entire country for their bravery, courage and for helping fight some of the worst fires this state and country have ever seen," Mr McKechnie said on Monday, his voice cracking with emotion.
The long-running inquest into the 2019-20 fire season is examining the deaths of Captain Ian McBeth, 44, first officer Paul Clyde Hudson, 42, and flight engineer Rick DeMorgan Jr, 43, who were killed their tanker crashed in southern NSW on January 23.
The Lockheed EC-130Q LAT stalled at low altitude after dropping fire retardant.
The inquest heard the Richmond air base received formal details of the crew's task, including destination coordinates, two hours after they were deployed and just minutes before the crash.
Mr McKechnie said it was optimal for crews to have all information, but it was not always possible on extreme fire days when there were hundreds of blazes.
"Given the impending threat to life and property, it was seen as expedient to get the LAT mobilised," he said.
Senior members of the RFS were advised small aircraft were unable to fly that morning due to dangerous weather, but a supervising plane known as a birddog would monitor and report back on conditions.
In a briefing phone call played to the inquest, then deputy commissioner Rob Rogers told crews not to wait for the birddog and send a LAT towards the town of Adaminaby, which was under extreme threat.
Mr McKechnie, who was also on the call, said he agreed with the decision even when he heard the birddog crew rejected the task to fly.
"I was confident in being able to task a LAT," he said.
"They have better operating parameters in rougher flying conditions and also (I had) confidence in those pilots to be able to make the decision in whether they would be able to, firstly, fly there and then operate in that area."
The RFS has since established a new role of LAT co-ordinator to support tanker crews.
John Gallaher, the director of flight operations at Coulson Aviation, the US company that employed the men, said the pilot did everything to stop the plane stalling, but it appeared the aircraft met with an extreme and sudden wind change.
An Australian Transport Safety Bureau report into the crash, which has been tendered at the inquest, found Coulson Aviation did not include a windshear recovery procedure in its flight manual.
Mr Gallaher said recovery from windshear was a central part of pilot training and the crew had taken all the "textbook" steps.
"They were the highest quality men that I've had the pleasure to work with," Mr Gallaher said.
"They were three incredible people."
The inquest continues before State Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan.
Australian Associated Press
