Analysis of Australian aerial firefighting agency and operator interviews regarding aviation safety

Summary

The ATSB is conducting a safety study into aerial firefighting in Australia to identify any systemic safety issues and other learning opportunities that could enhance the safety of aerial firefighting operations. 

The safety study is divided into 4 parts: 

• Part A, AS-2021-015a, was published on 13 May 2026, and presents the key safety themes reported by interviewees. It does not contain findings. The goal of Part A is to better understand the aviation hazards interviewees faced, and the opportunities they could see to improve the safety of aerial firefighting operations. 

• Part B, AS-2021-015b, will present the results from a survey of NAFC-registered aerial firefighting pilots. 
• Part C, AS-2025-015c, will expand upon the ATSB statistical report AR-2020-022 and identify key trends in Australian aerial firefighting occurrences. 
• The final report, AS-2025-015, will present a synthesis of the conclusions in Parts A to C to identify any systemic safety issues and other learning opportunities that could enhance the safety of aerial firefighting operations.