Army Grounds Apache Copters After Accidents

WASHINGTON —  The Army on Friday issued a safety message to its aviation units, directing a temporary grounding of Apache helicopter gunships pending inspection and replacement of certain parts.

The “safety of flight” message was issued after an investigation of two minor accidents involving the advanced attack helicopter at Ft. Rucker, Ala., earlier this month, Army spokesman Phil Soucy said.

Army units are being told not to allow any Apache to fly until its “engine electrical wiring harness” is replaced and other related components inspected, Soucy said.

The work is expected to take only about four hours per helicopter and most should be returned to service quickly, the spokesman added.

Sudden Shutdowns

The incidents at Ft. Rucker occurred on June 3 and June 16 and both involved a sudden, unexpected shutdown of the engines, Soucy said. In the first instance, the helicopter was about 40 feet in the air but managed to land safely. In the second, the copter was taxiing on a runway in preparation for takeoff.

No one was injured in either incident and the aircraft were not damaged, Soucy said.

Although both incidents are still under investigation, a preliminary inquiry has suggested that the helicopters lost power because of malfunctions or short circuits in their engine wiring, he said.