Australia adopts national SOPs for large air tanker firefighting after 2023 Boeing crash

Australia has introduced its first national standard operating procedures (SOPs) for large air‑tanker firefighting aircraft. The new guidelines set minimum drop heights, airspeed limits, flight‑path requirements, communication protocols and training standards. They were developed by the National Aerial Firefighting Centre and endorsed by all state fire agencies.

The SOPs respond to an Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation of a February 2023 crash of a Coulson Aviation Boeing 737‑300 in Western Australia’s Fitzgerald River National Park. The aircraft struck a ridgeline after a retardant drop; both pilots survived but the plane was destroyed. The ATSB report cited low drop altitude and the absence of a minimum‑height requirement as key risk factors. Previously each Australian state had its own procedures, creating inconsistencies. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said the national SOPs are “a significant milestone” for aerial‑firefighting safety.