Safety concerns could affect presidential helicopter selection
By LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press Writer
April 3, 2004, 12:22 PM EST
WASHINGTON -- Ongoing questions about cracks in the tail rotor of AgustaWestland helicopters could trigger concerns for the Pentagon as the U.S. Navy considers which contractor will build the next fleet of presidential helicopters.
British Navy officials are investigating whether rotor cracks played a role in the crash last week of an EH101 Merlin helicopter built by AgustaWestland, an Italian-British consortium.
Following the crash the Canadian Air Force restricted its fleet of AgustaWestland-built Cormorant helicopters to emergency operations, acknowledging that the aircraft _ a version of the EH101 _ also had developed similar cracks.
The intense competition for the prestigious role of Marine One is between Connecticut-based Sikorsky Aircraft's VH-92 Super Hawk and Maryland-based Lockheed Martin's US101. Lockheed has partnered with AgustaWestland and a team of contractors to offer a helicopter based on the Merlin.
AgustaWestland spokesman David Bath said the company is participating in the crash investigation. And he said the Canadian decision to inspect all the rotors was "a sensible thing to do."
"We need to find out what caused this failure," said Bath. He described the accident, in which the helicopter dropped from about 50 feet during a Navy training flight, as a "heavy impact landing." Two pilots were injured in the crash, which broke the rotor blades off the aircraft and scattered parts around the Royal Naval Air Station Cultrose airfield.
The Pentagon, which may wait until the end of the year to make a decision on the $1.6 billion Marine One contract, could not confirm that military officials are monitoring the matter.
"It's not appropriate for us to discuss the source selection competition before the contract award decision is announced," said Navy Lt. Commander Danny Hernandez.
But analysts said the military is certainly interested in the crash investigation and any link between that and cracks in the tail rotor.
"We don't know if there is a connection, but if there is it would be blow to the 101," said Richard Aboulafia, a defense analyst with the Teal Group. "If there is a causality between a manufacturing defect and a crash, that would represent a major blow."
Both Aboulafia and Loren Thompson, an analyst with the Lexington Institute, said the Merlin had a good safety record and, in general, helicopter crashes are not unusual in military service.
"This is usually seen as a very safe and reliable helicopter," said Thompson. "Any pattern of accidents is going to be a source of concern. But you would have to know the precise cause of the rotor cracks."
Last week the Navy announced that the decision on the contract would not come in May as originally planned. The Navy said officials needed more time to assess the safety and survivability of the two aircraft.
Because of the terrorist attacks and growing security threats, the White House had initially called for the Pentagon to move quickly on the contract decision so the new aircraft would be ready for 2008.
Sikorsky spokesman Edward Steadham said "safety and security are the most important issues for the presidential helicopter."
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