Five wildfire air tankers being restored to service

WASHINGTON – Five large air tankers that were grounded over safety concerns will be back fighting fires Monday now that their private operator has demonstrated they are safe to fly, federal officials said Friday.

The five planes, former Navy P-3 Orions owned by California-based Aero Union Corp., were among 33 planes grounded in May because officials had no way to tell if the military surplus planes — some of which are as old as 60 years — were safe.

Interior Secretary Gale Norton and other officials said Friday that after working with the Federal Aviation Administration and a private contractor that inspected the planes, officials were confident the air tankers being returned to service were safe.

“With better information and a precedent set for more thorough inspections by the contractors, we believe we can operate this equipment safely this fire season,” Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth said.

No decisions have been made about where the planes will be based or deployed, Bosworth and Norton said.

The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management canceled $30 million in contracts for use of the large air tankers in May, citing safety concerns after two planes broke up in midair in 2002, killing five people.

Since then, lawmakers and governors in Western states have pressed officials to reconsider their decision, calling the large air tankers — which are capable of dumping up to 3,000 gallons of chemical and water-based retardant — vital to firefighting efforts.

Norton said the planes being returned will be under strict observation and will have limits placed on them. For instance, each plane will hold a maximum of 2,650 gallons of retardant and will have their flight hours and usage strictly monitored, she said.

The Forest Service added nearly 130 aircraft to its 700-plane fleet last month, at an estimated cost of $66 million. Eight military C-130 aircraft also will be used to fight fires this summer.