At 11:16 local time in Greece, during firefighting efforts in Nea Peramos, a Pays Aviation Air Tractor AT 802 Fireboss, registered VH-FBZ sank while scooping water from the sea near Salamis Island.
The two crew members onboard the aircraft were rescued shortly after the crash by the Hellenic Coastguard. Both men were then taken to the hospital for preemptive checks.
The aircraft VH-FBZ was part of a large contingent of aerial firefighting aircraft that make the trip from Australia to Greece in the Australian off-season including multiple fixed-wing assets from Australian companies and helicopters from companies like McDermott Aviation who supply several Bell 214 helicopters. Australian aircraft have been working the Greek fire season for several years after continually increasing fire demand has forced Greece to look for international assistance each year as fire danger continues to grow.
Last year’s fire season was one of the worst on record for Greece as record high temperatures and dry areas saw large amounts of structures lost.
