Air Force (BBC) US is decommissioning most of the C-130 Hercules aircraft due to propeller problems. Cracks found in their cylinders.
This is reported in the American magazine Defense News.
Air Mobility Command (AMC) USA confirmed, that most of the US Air Force C-130H fleet, which at the beginning 2022 fiscal year (started in October 2021 of the year) totaled 128 units, can't fly. And unclear, how long it will take to replace all defective propeller assemblies.
AMC stated, what 116 C-130H aircraft were withdrawn from service on Tuesday due to concerns, that their propeller assemblies are faulty. Checks, scheduled for the coming days, will show, how many of them are damaged.
In a statement to Defense News, Air Mobility Command said, that a maintenance crew at the Warner Robins Air Logistics Facility in Georgia discovered a malfunction in the propeller of a C-130H aircraft during engine test run-in. It happened after, how did it get serviced. Further checks showed, that two more propeller assemblies had the same problem.
This is the second time in the last three years., when a significant number of C-130Hs were retired due to propeller problems. In February 2019 year, the US Air Force stopped using 60 such aircraft, which at that time was almost a third of the park. The command was afraid, that the propeller blades, issued to 1971 of the year, could crack, so they were replaced. Author:Sergey Kuzmitsky Photos used:Lockheed Martin