Lawmakers say some air tankers could fight fires this summer

By: MATTHEW DALY - Associated Press | Tuesday, May 18, 2004 9:03 PM PDT ∞

WASHINGTON -- As many as eight of 33 large planes used to fight forest fires could be restored to service this summer, if they are determined to be safe and their complete records can be located, members of Congress said Tuesday.

Federal aviation officials made no commitments, but said they have agreed to work with the Forest Service to develop a system for certifying air tankers for flight.

The developments came as Western lawmakers seek to restore 33 large air tankers grounded last week because of safety concerns. The lawmakers and some Western governors say the large tankers, which drop up to 3,000 gallons of fire-retardant slurry on forest fires, are needed this fire season.

The U.S. Forest Service and Interior Department last week canceled $30 million in contracts for use of 33 air tankers, citing safety concerns after two planes broke up in midair in 2002, killing five people. Officials say they will rely on military planes and other aircraft to fight fires this summer.

Forest Service officials said after the May 10 grounding that they lack expertise to ensure that the privately owned tankers -- some of which are 60 years old -- were safe to fly.

Under federal law, the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management -- not the National Transportation Safety Board or the Federal Aviation Administration -- are responsible for certifying that planes used for public purposes are safe.

At a meeting Tuesday, lawmakers and the federal agencies involved agreed to work together to develop a system for inspecting the tankers and ensuring their airworthiness. Officials agreed to focus on eight former Navy P-3 Orions, which have a more complete history than other converted military planes typically used to fight fires.

If all goes well, the planes could be recertified as soon as mid-June, said Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore.

"I'm pleased that we've broken the bureaucratic logjam so we can have large tankers safely in the air this fire season," DeFazio said. "Grounding the entire fleet of large tankers has left a huge hole in our firefighting resources that I feel cannot be filled in any other way."

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., also was optimistic. "Ultimately, our goal is to get the planes in the air this summer," he said.

But he and others cautioned that safety cannot be compromised.

The planes "do need to be certified that they are capable of the mission. We don't want them to do down in some neighborhood in Bend or Redmond," two Oregon cities near fire-prone forests, Walden said.

Les Dorr, a spokesman for the FAA, said the agency has agreed to work with both the Forest Service and private contractors to develop maintenance and inspection programs for the tanker fleet.

Dorr said he could not speculate whether any or all of the 33 tankers would be certified for use this summer, saying that decision is up to the Forest Service.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Forest Service, also made no promises.

While officials will work with the FAA and NTSB, at this point the Forest Service does not have a mechanism to guarantee the safety of the tanker fleet, said spokeswoman Julie Quick.

"If the tankers can be brought back on line, we certainly will use them. Right now, we have to work together to identify other options and possibilities," she said.

Quick disputed allegations by some lawmakers that loss of the tankers will compromise the agency's firefighting ability. Officials have increased the number of smaller planes and helicopters, and have made available nine large military planes.

"We are very confident we have the assets to do this job, and we're going to do it," Quick said. "There's no reason to think we would be unprepared."

On the Net:

National Interagency Fire Center: http://www.nifc.gov

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