US Grounds Entire Fleet Of Workhorse Chinook Choppers Over Engine Fires
NDTV
The move will leave some 400 of the well-armed, heavy-duty Chinooks out of service owing to what engine-maker Honeywell described as "suspect O-rings" used in some of the aircraft that did not meet its specifications
The US Army has grounded its fleet of workhorse H-47 Chinook helicopters, an icon of US wars from Vietnam to the Middle East, after several experienced engine fires, the Army said Tuesday.
The move will leave some 400 of the well-armed, heavy-duty Chinooks out of service owing to what engine-maker Honeywell described as "suspect O-rings" used in some of the aircraft that did not meet its specifications.
"The Army has identified the root cause of fuel leaks that caused a small number of engine fires among an isolated number of H-47 helicopters and is implementing corrective measures to resolve this issue," said Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith.
"While no deaths or injuries occurred, the Army temporarily grounded the H-47 fleet out of an abundance of caution, until those corrective actions are complete," she said in a statement.
