Aerial Firefighting - 130s Placed On Operational Hold - Firefighting C

7/3/2012 -PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS)In just what exactly administrators explain because "a advisable measure," many army C-130 aeroplanes pre-loaded with your Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System include already been positioned on operational carry following one of the plane crashed Sunday, July 1.

A MAFFS-equipped C-130 out of the North Carolina Air National Guard's 145th Airlift Wing crashed while combating a fire with southwestern South Dakota at about 6:30 p.m. Mountain time Sunday, officers said.

"There were casualties, and also our thoughts plus wishes continue to be able to people who ended up injured and people that misplaced their lives," U.S. Northern Command authorities claimed in a very prepared assertion today. "The loved ones members of these kind of airmen tend to be mainly about some of our minds. We provides further specifics about the rank connected with the particular casualties soon."

The source of this collision is not determined, and also the incident can be below investigation, officers said. At enough time from the crash, the particular crew had been fighting your White Draw Fire in the vicinity of Edgemont, S.D.

Sunday's lock up appeared to be the 1st in the 40-year track record from the MAFFS program, a joint Defense Department and also U.S. Forest Service application to produce supplemental aerial firefighting methods when industrial and also personal air tankers shall no longer be qualified to satisfy the actual Forest Service's needs.

MAFFS is often a self-contained aerial firefighting process owned or operated from the Forest Service which will release 3,000 gallons of waters or fire retardant throughout under five seconds, protecting an area a one fourth with your kilometer long by a hundred toes wide.

The MAFFS-equipped fleet is definitely expending Monday obtaining the deck hands with each other for you to "reflect, reset plus review," mentioned Air Force Col. Jerry Champlin, 153rd Air Expeditionary Group commander. "We all intend to make certain your crews and planes are going to be willing to re-engage inside assignment safely."

U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said this firm will be significantly saddened by that destructive incident. "The firm thoroughly sustains this selection by the army to help stand affordable its MAFFS operation for you to correct the particular requires connected with people and families as well as make sure your basic safety of that objective when it resumes," this individual said. "The firm will pursue to budget for accessible firefighting assets based on this prioritization of incidents."

It is not recognized if your MAFFS airplanes will certainly job application operations, officers said.

(Courtesy U.S. Northern Command and also 153rd Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs)