[Peetwo]

A new low.

Somehow; I just can’t see the Senior Investigator of the NTSB turning up to a major, international event crash scene with his name embroidered (by his Mum) on his shirt front. Or dressed in the manner a junior producer of My Kitchen Rules imagines a ‘real’ out doors Australian dresses like; they don’t by the way. Only that idiot Irwin prancing about for the camera ‘wrestling’ tied up crocodiles did that – but only with the little ‘uns. Great theatre – but seriously?

At any accident scene the last thing the SAR boys, the police and search teams need is ‘crowd’ particularly of media types. The media is always kept back at a sensible distance; but they are there and persistent. That is their job. The head of the ATSB arriving anywhere near the media scrum would be bound to get a serious lot of attention. Was Hood on the mountain searching for clues? No. Was Hood combing the bush, picking leeches off his wet socks and battling the starving hoards of mosquitoes? NO he was not. Is Hood in any way shape or form ‘qualified’ to be anywhere else but in his Canberra office cooking the books to make a failing ATSB look good or crunching statistics out to prove that Angel Flight is dangerous and Pel-Air was kosher? Hardly qualified to that either; but, he does have all the right levers to make sure his Canary voice is not ever heard spilling the beans.

I can’t imagine what the professional air crash investigators (tin kickers) of this world may think of this self aggrandising insult to a dead crew, their families and their mates. But I do know it turns my stomach.

This is now the second lot of USA citizens killed in air accidents in Australia; Essendon and now in the mountains. The USA should demand to be the lead investigator on this latest event. Any close study of the dribble and waffle Hood espouses will show, that clearly accident investigation is a political football in this wide brown land – when the report eventually emerges from the wordsmiths mitts.

It troubles me that Hood would rush to put on his new, embroidered shirt, race up to the safest base away from the accident scene and grab a ‘photo- op’. Neither use nor ornament to SAR or investigation – but, because it is an international event, the horrible little man has to be there. Got to stop – now - before I throw up.

What can be said of the crew or to their nearest and dearest? The world is a poorer place without them. We all here feel the loss of a crew; no accolade is high enough – they did their job, in the approved manner: calmly, professionally and properly. God speed and tailwinds fellahin; safe home.

No Gazette this Sunday – mark of respect and gratitude.

Selah.

P7 - Second the Motion.

Thor crash update.

Although now more than a couple of days old, the following is an extremely informative 15 minute video by Blan Coliro that explains how the LAT (Large Air Tanker) operations are managed, the risks involved and the possible causes for the crash of the C130 LAT 134. definitely worth the 1 cup of coffee to watch...  

The Airtanker industry is a small, tight knit aviation community. Today's news from Australia was devastating.

UPDATE:

25 Jan- Crash site video:
[color=var(--yt-endpoint-visited-color, var(--yt-spec-call-to-action))]https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-2...
[/color]
Colson Aviation Releases Crew member Information:
[color=var(--yt-endpoint-visited-color, var(--yt-spec-call-to-action))]https://www.coulsonaviationusa.com/ne...[/color]

LINKS:
Associated Aerial Firefighters Memorial Trust Fund
[color=var(--yt-endpoint-visited-color, var(--yt-spec-call-to-action))]https://airtanker.org/aaf-memorial-fund/[/color]

U.S. Aerial Firefighters Memorial Wall
[color=var(--yt-endpoint-visited-color, var(--yt-spec-call-to-action))]http://airtanker.org/memorial/[/color]

 

Via 10newsfirst:

MTF...P2