Boeing 737 crashes in Australian national park as firefighting plane plunges to the ground
A FIREFIGHTING plane has horrifically crashed while trying to douse raging bushfires on the south coast of Western Australia.
Two people on board the Boeing 737-3 aircraft were injured after it smashed into the Fitzgerald River National Park.
They had taken off from the Busselton-Margaret River Regional Airport to help extinguish two ferocious blazes at 3.30pm.
The Coulson aviation water bomber then suddenly crashed as it approached the scene.
The aircraft is said to have fallen into the forest situated between the towns of Ravensthorpe and Hopetoun.
Both pilots miraculously escaped without serious injury and were rescued from the crash site by helicopter.
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The pair were then airlifted to Ravensthorpe to receive medical treatment for minor injuries, police said.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service has mobilised a team to rush the crew to Perth for further treatment if required.
It is not yet clear what caused the dramatic crash.
The crew were due to help aid efforts to bring two ferocious bushfires under control as they ripped through the national park.
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The dual inferno has reportedly already incinerated over 2,220 acres of the rural landscape after beginning at 10am.
The Fitzgerald River National Park is home to 75 rare plant species that do not grow anywhere else in the world.
Around 30 Parks and Wildlife Service firefighters are trying to bring the fires under control.
A bushfire watch and act alert is in place for local residents amid concerns the flames pose a risk to lives and property.
Officers from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau are set to attend the crash site to begin investigations when safe to do so.
The arrival of the Boeing 737-3, nicknamed 'Phoenix', in Western Australia was announced back in December.
The impressive plane, used by the US to tackle the Californian wildfires, was added to the roster in preparation for fire season.
But by the time the news had been revealed, the water bomber had already been put to work to douse fires near Cervantes and Jurien Bay.
The plane boasts the capacity to carry 15,000 litres of fire suppressants and has a loaded cruising speed of nearly 800 kilometres an hour.