Feds Return 2 Large Air Tankers to Service

The departments of the Interior and Agriculture announced they will return two P2V aircraft to firefighting service on a limited basis. Both aircraft would be outfitted with structural health monitoring devices to gather information on the stresses that occur to air tankers in the fire environment, which will help determine vital safety information for the remaining P2V fleet.

“This is another step in developing a clearer picture of the airworthiness of these aging aircraft,” said Rebecca Watson, assistant secretary for land and minerals management at the DOI. “We are going to ensure the safety of these aircraft while redoubling our ongoing efforts to protect communities from wildfire.”

The current fleet consists of 800 firefighting aircraft, including a mix of both large and small airplanes as well as helicopters. In June, USDA and DOI contracted with private companies for more than 100 aircraft to ensure firefighting effectiveness this season.

“Safety is a top priority and a core value of our firefighting program,” said Mark Rey, under secretary for natural resources and environment at the USDA. “With our current fleet of aircraft, including single-engine tankers, helicopters and other resources, fire managers continue our success rate of stopping more than 99% of fires upon initial attack.”

Minden Air Corp. of Minden, Nev., owns one of the P2V and Neptune Aviation of Missoula, Mont., owns the other. Minden's air tanker is already outfitted with the monitoring device; Neptune's would need to be installed. The aircraft would be used only in unpopulated areas and be subject to more frequent inspections. This technique is similar to the Federal Aviation Administration's experimental use certification, which is used by FAA to reconcile uncertainties in airplanes.

The two air tankers join seven P3 Orion aircraft that were returned to service following a thorough safety analysis.

The remaining 10 aircraft in the P2V fleet will not be returned to service at this time because, unlike the P3 aircraft, the operational service life, which is expressed in how many hours an aircraft can be safely flown according to the original equipment manufacturer, has not yet been established. However, USDA recently contracted with Lockheed-Martin, the original manufacturer of the P2Vs, to obtain historical data on the aircraft to help make that determination. That process will likely cost approximately $500,000 (to be paid by the federal government) and will take three to four months to complete.

On June 9, USDA contracted with Dyncorp Technical Services, a Texas-based aviation engineering firm, to provide the expertise in analyzing the airworthiness documentation provided by contractors for the large air tankers. USDA and DOI relied upon Dyncorp's analysis of that documentation to make the decision to return the two P2Vs with monitoring devices to service.

Sandia National Laboratories Aging Aircraft Program will collect and transmit the data from the monitoring devices to Lockheed-Martin engineers who will use the data in helping to determine an operational service life. Data from a DC-7 owned by TBM Butler Aviation and used by the state of Oregon in firefighting operations will also be collected from its monitoring device and studied.

The U.S. Navy operated the P2V as a land-based patrol bomber in the 1940s. The P2V, the predecessor to the P3, is known for its versatility and long flight range of up to 2,000 miles. It began to be used as an air tanker by private companies in the 1970s. Because the P2Vs were decommissioned for military service before the U.S. Navy developed structural analysis and fatigue life limit programs, a service life limit was never established.

USDA and DOI in May terminated the contracts for 33 large air tankers to be used in firefighting missions due to concerns over the airworthiness of the aircraft, and firefighter and public safety.