US Forest Service grounds Chinooks

Following on from the US Army’s decision to ground its entire 400 strong CH47 force. The US Forest Service has followed suit. The grounding follows a number of engine fires which were traced to faulty seals used in the aircraft’s T55 engines. The Forest Service has 12 CH47s on contract. Since the grounding came into effect inspections have been carried out and this far, the majority of the fleet returned to service with the remainder expected to follow in the next few days.