US soldiers do in-depth maintenance on an AH-64D Apache helicopter at Fort Bliss, March 1, 2018. US Army
Task & Purpose: The Army Is Inspecting Its Entire Apache Helicopter Fleet For A Critical Defect
The Army has ordered aviation techs to widen their search for a broken part that can send Apache helicopter rotors catastrophically ripping loose mid-flight, according to documents obtained by Task & Purpose, a terrifying defect that has resulted in recent deadly Apache mishaps.
In April, Defense News reported the Pentagon ceased accepting deliveries of the AH-64E ‘Echo’ Apache months earlier due to a “critical” safety issue over the copter’s strap pack nut, the component that keeps the rotor blades from separating from the airframe. But a February Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) guidance goes even further by explicitly expanding new inspections from Army aircraft flown in “severe coastal” areas to include “all AH-64 aircraft, regardless of location.”
Read more ....
Update:The U.S. Army Is Inspecting Its Entire Fleet of Apache Helicopters for a Critical Flaw (Popular Mechanics)
WNU editor: Here is the Defense News article that red-flagged this problem .... US Army stops accepting AH-64E helos from Boeing due to safety concerns (Defense News).
