From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
Air force returns Apache fleet to active service after safety fears
The Israel Air Force returns its fleet of Apache helicopters to operation after they were grounded for nearly a month over safety concerns.
A safety inspection of one helicopter in early June uncovered a crack in its back rotor, leading Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel to ground the entire fleet for detailed inspections.
According to Channel 10, the inspections uncovered a second crack in the original helicopter, but determined that the rest of the fleet was fit to fly. Inspectors concluded that the cracks were due to heavy use of the helicopter, which had clocked over 2,000 flight hours by the time the cracks had begun forming.
The Air Force says it will institute new safety regulations, including shortening the rotor blades’ lifespan by 80 percent and implementing regular X-ray checks of all blades.
The Times of Israel Community.