CH-124 Sea King Helicopter Flight Restrictions Lifted

File Photo - Airforce website

CFB WINNIPEG – The Air Force is lifting the recent flight restrictions on its fleet of CH-124 Sea King maritime helicopters based on the results of technical inspections and adjustments, and changes to aircraft maintenance procedures. The enhanced training program for aircrews has also mitigated the risks.

The lifting of the restrictions means that the Sea King that is currently en-route to the Arabian Gulf to join HMCS Toronto as part of OPERATION ALTAIR should be able to begin operations as expected on March 31, 2004, because it has undergone the necessary inspections and adjustments.

All Sea King flight operations, except those necessary for the preservation of life, were paused from October 29 until November 3, 2003. Since November, the aircraft has been flown with operational restrictions while technical inspections of various helicopter drive-train components and changes to maintenance and operational procedures were instituted to reduce the risk of further occurrences.

“I am satisfied, given the results of the inspections and the test-flying program, that it is safe to resume normal Sea King flying operations,” said the Commander of 1 Canadian Air Division, Maj.-Gen. Marc Dumais.

Among the technical fixes that were applied to the Sea King fleet was a special inspection of the aircraft’s torque-measuring system, which sends information on aircraft power to the torque gauge on the instrument panel. As a result of the special inspection, maintenance procedures have changed, requiring the inspection of the components in the torque-measuring system and bleeding of the hydraulic fluid in the same system. Other aircraft component settings have been re-examined and revised.

Sea King aircrews will spend the next few weeks regaining their qualifications to fly from ships at sea, conducting all aspects of anti-submarine warfare and performing hoisting operations.

All 28 operational CH-124 Sea King aircraft are operated by 12 Wing, with squadrons at Shearwater, N.S. and the Victoria International Airport in B.C.