U.S. Air Force suspended almost all Lockheed C-130H Hercules transport aircraft due to cracks in propellers
The U.S. Air Force is forced to ground almost all of Lockheed Martin's C-130H Hercules transport planes.
Here's What We Know
The U.S. Air Force command has decided to ban C-130H flights because of cracks in the propellers. The service has suspended 116 aircraft, while 128 active aircraft are in service. These include the MC-130H Combat Talon and the EC-130H Compass Calls for special missions.
The problem was discovered in the C-130H Hercules, which are equipped with 54H60 propellers, and has been officially confirmed by the U.S. Air Force Command. Aircraft with NP2000 propellers will continue to operate as normal.
Experts discovered cracks in the propellers of one of the C-130H Hercules during maintenance at Warner Robins Air Logistics. The Air Force then recorded two more incidents, checking all of the aircraft that were under repair.
Propeller replacements in the C-130H Hercules can take up to two months. Three years ago, the Air Force already suspended 60 planes with propellers manufactured before 1971. At the time, it took several weeks to replace them.
Source: Defense News