USFS News: Neptune Aviation's P2-V aerial tanker significant cracking

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

USFS News: Neptune Aviation's P2-V aerial tanker significant cracking

Large crack found in wing of Neptune slurry bomber

"This condition, if not detected and corrected, could result in significant loss of structural integrity of the wing,"

A Neptune Aviation P2-V air tanker drops retardant on a ridge above the West Riverside fire to try to keep it from moving to the west in August.

The discovery of a large crack in the wing of one of Neptune Aviation's P2-V aerial tanker planes during a winter maintenance check prompted mandatory inspections of all similar planes on U.S. Forest Service firefighting duty.
"We had one aircraft with significant cracking," Neptune president Dan Snyder said Wednesday. "But is this another Aero Union situation, where we have zero tankers for the fire season? No. The tankers will be back up."
Snyder referred to one of Neptune's competitors in the firebombing business which lost its Forest Service contract last year because of persistent plane safety problems. Missoula-based Neptune Aviation owns the largest fleet of large air tankers in the nation, with nine Korean War-era P2-Vs and a new BAe-146 jet tanker now under a 24-month interim contract.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency airworthiness directive on Monday after reviewing the inspection report Neptune provided on the crack. It confirmed Neptune's report that a 24-inch split had developed in the left wing.
"This condition, if not detected and corrected, could result in significant loss of structural integrity of the wing," the directive said. It ordered all similar P2-Vs to pass inspection for such cracks before they are allowed to fly again.
"We cut pieces out of the aircraft, but we still don't know what caused it," Snyder said. Neptune's remaining eight active P2-Vs and a ninth plane it's rebuilding as a training model have all passed the inspection and are airworthy, he said.
The directive should not affect a Forest Service request at the end of January to accelerate air tanker availability for the coming fire season, according to National Interagency Fire Center spokeswoman Jennifer Jones. The Forest Service wants planes available for forest fires by Feb. 15 this year, compared to March 18 last year.
"The La Nina conditions in the southern tier of the United States indicate our fire activity may be above normal soon," Jones said. "We're trying to get prepared, and we want to make sure we have adequate resources available. So far, none of our contractors have informed us that won't be the case."
Nevada-based Minden Air Corp. provides two more P2-Vs for Forest Service firefighting. In a statement, Minden CEO Leonard Parker said none of his planes were affected, and the company expected to have its first P2-V available for Forest Service action on Feb. 15.
Snyder said Neptune hired 30 extra contract maintenance engineers for the shortened winter maintenance season, compared to its more typical 10 or 15. Neptune's first P2-V is contracted to go into service Feb. 28, with the rest phased in over the following three months.
The BAe jet is undergoing maintenance at Neptune partner Tronos' facility on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Neptune leases the BAe from Tronos. It is expected to be ready for duty this spring.

Read more: http://wildfirestoday.blogspot.com/2012/02/usfs-news-neptune-aviations-p2-v-aerial.html

California Fire News 2011

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How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Wednesday, February 15, 2012