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Wed, May 25, 2005

Firefighting Tankers Fly In Spite of Safety Concerns

Investigation Continues Into California Mishap

NTSB investigators Tuesday said they have not ruled out structural or mechanical faults in the crash of a firefighting Lockheed P-3 in California last month. Regardless, the US Forest Service has returned to service a portion of its aerial tanker fleet.

As ANN reported in real-time April 21st, the Aero Union Corporation tanker went down at night while on a training mission over California's Ishi Wilderness. The mishap claimed the lives of three people and touched off a small fire.

In typical fashion, the NTSB refused to rule anything out as its investigation into the crash continued.

"We've made no conclusions, preliminary or otherwise," NTSB spokesman Paul Schlamm told the Oakland Tribune. Even so, just two days after the mishap, a spokesman for the Forest Service declared officials were "cautiously optimistic" that structural failure was not a factor in the P-3 accident. The spokesman said the service would not ground its remaining tankers.

Even so, the number of tankers allowed to fly for the Forest Service has dwindled considerably. Only seven P-3s and two P-2Vs are in the skies fighting forest fires this season.

FMI: www.fs.fed.us

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