A Bombardier CL-415 firefighting seaplane has crashed this afternoon in Italy, on the slope of the Etna volcano, when fighting a forest fire.
As reported by RAI News, the pilot and co-pilot have died. The plane belonged to the Vigili del Fuoco, Italy's state civil firefighting agency. The plane was flying very low down the slope of Etna, and after discharging the water, its starboard wing grazed the ground, after which the plane crashed, in the middle of a wave of fire. Here we can see a video of what happened:
And here is another video of the accident, recorded from another place:
Air Plus News posted this photo of the plane wreckage:
The CL-415 had civil registration I-DPCN and serial number 2008. According to Aviation-Safety.net, the plane already had a serious accident on August 16, 2003 in Esine, Lombardy (you can see the official report here, which includes some photos). It then collided with some trees and crashed into the side of a mountain, injuring its two crew members. The aircraft was left in very poor condition, but everything seems to indicate that it was repaired.
My condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the deceased crew members. Rest in peace.
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Photo: Maarten Visser. An image of the CL-415 that crashed today, the I-DPCN, during a forest fire suppression operation in June 2009.
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