Thursday January 23 January 2020
Sad news with confirmation Coulson’s C-130Q Heavy Air Tanker 134, the one based at RAAF Richmond, NSW crashed in the Snowy Mountains, Peak View area. The American crew, Captain Ian H McBeth, First Officer Paul Clyde Hudson, and Flight Engineer Rick A. DeMorgan Jr. perished in the crash.
The No. 37 Squadron (RAAF) Association, on behalf of our Aussie C-130 fraternity, extend their sincere condolences to the families of the three US based crew who perished, plus the Richmond based personnel who have been assisting with TANKER 134’S ongoing operations .
Coulson’s also have another C-130 Heavy Air Tanker based at Avalon, Vic, grounded at this time pending her sister aircraft’s preliminary crash investigation.
The aircraft and crew(s) have been in Australia since November last year, contracted to the NSW Rural Fire Service, assisting in aerial fire fighting operations during the 2019-2020 bushfire emergency that has claimed 33 lives, including our US buddie aviators.
