Safety concerns ground large firefighting air tankers

The Forest Service and Interior Department announced this week that they would terminate contracts for all of the 33 large air tankers used to fight wildfires. The decision came in response to an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board into three air tanker crashes, one in 1994 and two in 2002.

The report, released in late April, concluded that the crashes -- in which one or both wings detached from the planes -- resulted from inadequate maintenance. The fleet of retired military planes has an average age of 48 years and, in many cases, incomplete maintenance and inspection records which make it impossible to document the planes' airworthiness.

Eight private companies own and operate the aircraft, but the report concluded that the agencies are responsible for ensuring the fleet's safety. Because the agencies are not equipped to provide adequate maintenance, they decided to terminate the contracts. "To continue to use these contract large air tankers when no mechanism exists to guarantee their airworthiness presents an unacceptable level of risk to the aviators, the firefighters on the ground and the communities we serve," Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth said Monday.

With the firefighting season already under way, the decision to ground the tankers raises concerns. In the past three years, the large planes have delivered about 20 percent of the water, fire retardant and foam used to combat forest fires. The agencies said they will supplement the aerial firefighting fleet with smaller aircraft such as single-engine air tankers, helicopters and helitankers and up to eight military C-130s equipped with firefighting systems.

Gov. Janet Napolitano, D-Ariz., and Gov. Judy Martz, R-Mont., have written letters to Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman protesting the decision. "I understand the need for pilot safety," Napolitano wrote in her May 11 letter. "However, without the availability of these craft, I fear that our ability to protect thousands of citizens in rural communities will be significantly impaired." She criticized the agencies for not taking action to resolve the safety issues sooner following the 2002 crashes.

The NTSB report indicated that other aircraft could pose safety risks as well. "Because all aircraft engaged in firefighting operations are exposed to the same harsh environment and increased stresses and are likely operating outside the manufacturers' original design intent, the board notes that the deficiencies identified may well apply to all aircraft in the firefighting fleet," the report stated.

Interior and the Forest Service spent nearly $30 million to use the planes last year. The contractors will be paid a settlement for any costs incurred while preparing for the 2004 fire season.