Extract from yesterday's Toronto Star
Maintenance woes plagued Sea King in terror fight
OTTAWA (CP) — The latest Sea King helicopter to return from overseas duty sat idle almost half the time because of persistent maintenance problems, says a newly released report.
The aircraft, which flew from HMCS Fredericton in the Arabian Sea, had to scrap 42 of its scheduled missions due to mechanical troubles, says the document.
"The most significant negative issue with respect to maintenance throughout the deployment was the chronic shortage of available spare parts and the coincidental lack of proper tools to effect timely repairs," says the report, obtained under the Access to Information Act.
"There were significant periods when the aircraft was unavailable while awaiting receipt of parts or tools."
The aging Sea King was assigned to patrol the Arabian Sea as part of Operation Apollo, the U.S.-led anti-terrorism operation. The six-month mission ended Aug. 28 when HMCS Fredericton returned to its home port of Halifax.
Mechanical problems have plagued Sea King operations on previous overseas missions, but the 55 per cent availability rate for the Fredericton's aircraft while it was in the operational theatre is one of the worst on record.
The 28-helicopter fleet, which dates from the mid-1960s, has long been plagued by a shortage of spare parts.
Many of the systems on board are based on 1950s technology for which replacement parts are often not available.
But the report also highlights the dangers of the frenetic pace demanded of Sea King technicians in preparing the aircraft for frequent missions overseas.
The helicopter had parts attached backwards, fuel lines installed incorrectly and bolts left loose.
Scary!
Full article
here.