Talca, Chile
Jan 15, 2024
A firefighting plane tackling a roadside blaze crashed onto the highway and erupted into its own ball of flames in Chile on Monday, killing the pilot and injuring several people on the ground.
The incident was caught on camera from several angles because phone users had been filming the aircraft while it went about its work spraying grassland in the city of Talca, south of the capital Santiago.
As the plane flew low alongside Route 5 South, in the central region of Maule, the wing clipped an electricity pylon, causing it to spin out of control as flames streamed from the stricken craft. It plummeted to the highway, killing the pilot and injuring four people who had been traveling in vehicles on the road.
The pilot was later named by officials as Fernando Solans. He was a 58-year-old professional who had "vast experience in aerial firefighting," according to the TVN report, while the four injured people were described as civilians. A parked truck was also consumed by the fiery crash.
Investigators are currently working to establish what exactly happened.
Source
Vid (comp of several vids): Two planes were involved in fighting the roadside fire: the first planes makes a successful pass, followed by the second plane which rolls and crashes.
Jan 15, 2024
A firefighting plane tackling a roadside blaze crashed onto the highway and erupted into its own ball of flames in Chile on Monday, killing the pilot and injuring several people on the ground.
The incident was caught on camera from several angles because phone users had been filming the aircraft while it went about its work spraying grassland in the city of Talca, south of the capital Santiago.
As the plane flew low alongside Route 5 South, in the central region of Maule, the wing clipped an electricity pylon, causing it to spin out of control as flames streamed from the stricken craft. It plummeted to the highway, killing the pilot and injuring four people who had been traveling in vehicles on the road.
The pilot was later named by officials as Fernando Solans. He was a 58-year-old professional who had "vast experience in aerial firefighting," according to the TVN report, while the four injured people were described as civilians. A parked truck was also consumed by the fiery crash.
Investigators are currently working to establish what exactly happened.
Source
Vid (comp of several vids): Two planes were involved in fighting the roadside fire: the first planes makes a successful pass, followed by the second plane which rolls and crashes.
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