According to The Wall Street Journal, the US military is grounding its entire fleet of Chinook helicopters because technicians installed incorrect parts in a number of helicopters. That led to fuel leaks and fires.
Insiders tell the American newspaper that “several incidents” caused the army earlier this week to take the drastic decision to stop flying the more than four hundred Chinooks. According to a source, there were at least seven fuel leaks in two weeks. In four cases fire broke out in the engine. There would have been nothing wrong with the installed part itself, it was just a wrong type.
No one was injured in the fires in the engines. The Dutch Ministry of Defense reported this week that Chinooks are allowed to continue flying here. “We have newer planes and newer engines, so it doesn’t apply to us,” a spokesperson said.
Armies from around the world have used the Chinooks in a variety of ways for decades, including transporting troops, artillery, equipment and fuel, and fighting fires.