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Tag: MAFFS

Military considering making C-130 air tankers available more frequently

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , 3 Comments on Military considering making C-130 air tankers available more frequently
MAFFS 5 Peterson AFB Colorado, 9-9-2011
File photo of a MAFFS II unit being loaded into a C-130 at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, September 9, 2011. Air Force Reserve photo.

Military and civilian officials are considering making it possible to activate military air tankers earlier than has been done in the past to help suppress wildfires. C-130 aircraft from the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve have access to eight Modular Airborne FireFighting Systems (MAFFS) that can be loaded into their cargo holds. These units can carry up to 3,000 gallons of fire retardant which can be pumped out by compressed air over wildfires.

According to an Associated Press article by Dan Elliott, General Charles H. Jacoby Jr., head of the U.S. Northern Command at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, said on Wednesday that making the C-130s available more easily is being weighed.

Under current regulations, privately owned air tankers have to be committed to fires before the military aircraft can be activated. This would have to be changed for General Jacoby’s suggestion to be implemented.

When the fire season ended last year there were only nine large air tankers under conventional exclusive use contracts. But those contracts expired over the winter and the U.S. Forest Service is evaluating new proposals for old “legacy air tankers” as well as what the agency calls “next generation” air tankers that are faster and can carry more retardant. The USFS needs to award the new contracts very soon, since some of them begin their mandatory availability periods in mid-February.

At least four companies are in the running to supply a total of seven or more next-gen air tankers on this next contract. The list includes Neptune, Minden, Aero Air, and Aero Flite, and possibly Coulson and 10 Tanker Air Carrier.

Since the USFS has allowed the air tanker fleet to deteriorate from 44 in 2002 to 9 in 2012, it is imperative that something be done to make up the shortfall of this important fire suppression tool. Having only 9 is a pretty low threshold for having all of them committed, which should technically make it legal to activate the military C-130s much more frequently than we have seen in recent years. Especially if you consider that it is important to have an adequate number of air tankers standing by at air tanker bases ready for a quick response to new fires — in addition to any air tankers that may be committed to going fires. Fast, aggressive, initial attack by ground and air resources can minimize the size and the expense of wildfires.

Air tankers don’t put out fires, but aerial retardant can under the right conditions slow them down making it possible for firefighters on the ground to move in closer and stop the spread. The use of aircraft can keep fires smaller while saving taxpayers money, in addition to reducing the threats to lives, homes, and private property.

 

Thanks go out to Al and Bean.

Followup on Waldo Canyon Fire investigation, and availability of air tankers

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , , 7 Comments on Followup on Waldo Canyon Fire investigation, and availability of air tankers
Tanker 07 drops on the Myrtle Fire
Tanker 07 drops on the Myrtle Fire north of Hot Springs, SD. July 19, 2012. Photo by Bill Gabbert.

After writing about the Colorado Springs Independent article reporting on their investigation into the management of the Waldo Canyon Fire, we looked into the availability of air tankers during that time frame.

On June 23, 2012, the day the fire started, there were eight large fires burning in Colorado and 16 uncontained large fires in the country. On June 26 when the Waldo Canyon Fire moved into Colorado Springs burning 346 homes and killing two people, there were 29 uncontained large fires burning in the United States.

However there were only nine large air tankers in the United States on national U.S. Forest Service exclusive use contracts, down from the 44 we had in 2002.

Two Korean War vintage air tankers crashed June 3, 2012, killing Capt. Todd Neal Topkins and First Officer Ronnie Edwin Chambless bringing the total from 11 down to 9. Four military Modular Airborne FireFighting System (MAFFS) C-130 air tankers were mobilized on June 24 and four more on June 29.

We may never know if the shortage of air tankers had anything to do with the loss of two lives and 346 homes in Colorado Springs. Fighting fire on the cheap does not save money.

Differences between military and Forest Service accident investigations

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , , , , 1 Comment on Differences between military and Forest Service accident investigations

The accident report on the fatal crash of the military C-130 MAFFS air tanker which was released yesterday illustrated one very important difference between accident investigations conducted by the military and the U.S. Forest Service. A notice on page two of the report points out that the findings of military aviation accident investigations are regulated by law, 10 U.S.C. 2254(d), which states:

Use of Information in Civil Proceedings.—For purposes of any civil or criminal proceeding arising from an aircraft accident, any opinion of the accident investigators as to the cause of, or the factors contributing to, the accident set forth in the accident investigation report may not be considered as evidence in such proceeding, nor may such information be considered an admission of liability by the United States or by any person referred to in those conclusions or statements.

C-130 MAFFS crash, July 1, 2012
C-130 MAFFS air tanker crash, July 1, 2012. US Air Force photo

For fatal wildfire burnovers or entrapments of U.S. Forest Service employees, a law provides for just the opposite, thanks to a bill that was sponsored by Senator Maria Cantwell and U.S. Representative Doc Hastings, which became Public Law 107-203 in 2002:

In the case of each fatality of an officer or employee of the Forest Service that occurs due to wildfire entrapment or burnover, the Inspector General of the Department of Agriculture shall conduct an investigation of the fatality. The investigation shall not rely on, and shall be completely independent of, any investigation of the fatality that is conducted by the Forest Service.

The Cantwell-Hastings bill that was signed into law in 2002 was a knee-jerk reaction to the fatalities on the Thirtymile fire the previous year. The Department of Agriculture’s Inspector General’s office had no experience or training in the suppression or investigation of wildland fires. They are much more likely to be investigating violations at a chicken ranch than evaluating fire behavior and tactical decisions at a wildfire. The goal of the Inspector General investigation would be to determine if any crimes were committed, so that a firefighter could be charged and possibly sent to prison.

After the trainee wildland fire investigator for the OIG finished looking at the Thirtymile fire, on January 30, 2007 the crew boss of the four firefighters that died was charged with 11 felonies, including four counts of manslaughter. The charges were later reduced to two counts of making false statements to which the crew boss pleaded guilty on August 20, 2008. He was sentenced to three years of probation and 90 days of work release.

The criminal charges brought against the firefighter who may or may not have made some mistakes on the fire had a serious, chilling effect on wildland firefighters. Not only does it make them reluctant to speak to anyone about what happened on an accident, some even had second thoughts about their willingness to continue working in a professional they loved because potential criminal charges or convictions could ruin their lives and the livelihood of their families.

In addition, firefighters lawyering-up after an accident makes it difficult to discover the causes of an accident and to learn lessons which could save lives by preventing similar fatalities.

The four-fatality MAFFS accident was a complex chain of events involving many individuals and firefighting resources. But in spite of the complexity, the report was released to the public only four months after the accident, making it possible for lessons to be learned while reducing the chances of a similar accident taking more lives.

This short turnaround is unheard of in the wildland fire agencies in part due to the potential civil and criminal implications down the road.

This is literally a life and death issue — Senator Maria Cantwell’s and Representative Doc Hastings’ hastily conceived Public Law 107-203 must be repealed and replaced by one similar to 10 U.S.C. 2254(d), which serves the military very well. The Cantwell-Hastings law serves no useful purpose. Accidents are investigated, with or without the ridiculous law. It had unintended consequences and needs to be fixed.

Air Force report says microburst caused crash of MAFFS air tanker

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , , , , 15 Comments on Air Force report says microburst caused crash of MAFFS air tanker
C-130 MAFFS crash, July 1, 2012
C-130 MAFFS air tanker crash, July 1, 2012. US Air Force photo

(Update: On November 29, 2012 the Air Force released the full report on the crash. More details are at FireAviation.com HERE and HERE.)

A US Air Force report concluded that strong winds out of a thunderstorm caused the crash of a military C-130 air tanker July 1. The accident occurred on the White Draw Fire near Edgemont, South Dakota and resulted in four fatalities. Two crewmen in the rear of the aircraft were injured but survived. Those two were operating the Modular Airborne FireFighting System (MAFFS) in the cargo hold which enables the C-130 to function as an air tanker, capable of dropping up to 3,000 gallons of fire retardant.

MAFFS C-130 crash, White Draw Fire, July 1, 2012
MAFFS C-130 crash, White Draw Fire, July 1, 2012. US Air Force photo.

The report said a microburst of turbulent air out of a thunderstorm caused the crash. During a previous retardant drop on the fire the aircraft experienced a drop in airspeed despite operating under full power. Before the second drop the crew discussed the air speed problem but decided they could adjust to the conditions. The plane crashed on the second drop about five minutes after the first one.

A lead plane flying a half-mile ahead of the C-130 experienced a microburst that pushed it within 10 feet of the ground. According to a news release from the Department of Defense:

The investigation also determined factors that substantially contributed to the mishap included the failure of the Lead Plane and Air Attack aircrews to communicate critical operational information; as well as conflicting operational guidance concerning thunderstorm avoidance.

“If you add all the pieces up, it was very clear they should not have attempted the second drop,” said Brig. Gen. Randall Guthrie, the Air Force Reserve officer who led the investigation. “With all apparent conditions, they should not have gone ahead.”

The Associated Press reports:

“They struggled to keep that [lead] plane flying,” Guthrie said. A second small plane also reported “more than moderate turbulence.”

The crews of those planes failed to alert the trailing C-130 to go around the storm, the investigation found. Instead, the lead plane crew advised the C-130 to drop its load of retardant to lighten the craft to help it climb.

“We felt like they had information and the importance of that information was not passed,” Guthrie said. Those crews later said “they also didn’t really add all those factors up themselves.”

The C-130 dropped the retardant but crashed seconds later, dropping into a lightly-wooded plateau, then into a ravine and breaking apart.

The aircraft that crashed was MAFFS #7 from the North Carolina Air National Guard’s 145th Airlift Wing based at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport.

We are working on obtaining a copy of the full report. We we get it, we’ll update this article with a link.

Killed in the crash were Lt. Col. Paul Mikeal, 42, of Mooresville; Maj. Joseph McCormick, 36, of Belmont; Maj. Ryan David, 35, of Boone; and Senior Master Sgt. Robert Cannon, 50, of Charlotte. The two seriously injured were Chief Master Sgt. Andy Huneycutt and Sgt. Josh Marlowe of Boiling Springs.

UPDATE: links to the report can be found at FireAviation.com

 

Thanks go out to Al

Wildfire briefing, September 17, 2012

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , 1 Comment on Wildfire briefing, September 17, 2012

US Forest Service deactivates the last two MAFFS air tankers

MAFFS cockpit
From the cockpit of a MAFFS C-130, Lt. Col. William Wilson (left) and Maj. Matthew Ringlein (right) of the 146th Airlift Wing, Channel Islands, Calif., prepare to drop retardant on a wildfire in northern California, August 24, 2012. Photo by Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz.

The US Forest Service has released from fire duty the last two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System-equipped military C-130s. At one time this summer all eight were active, which was the first time since 2008 eight C-130s had been activated simultaneously.

According to 153rd Air Expeditionary Group officials based in Boise, Idaho, this season has become the second-highest in MAFFS history for gallons of fire retardant dropped, surpassed only by the MAFFS season of 1994 when about 5 million gallons were dropped. This season, through Sept. 14, the MAFFS fleet released almost 2.5 million gallons of fire retardant during 1,011 drops on fires in 10 states.

Awards presented for actions following the crash of MAFFS air tanker

MAFFS 7 awards
Firefighters Daniel Diaz (center), Kevin Walters (left), and pilot Chuck MacFarland (right) receive their awards for their actions following the crash of MAFFS 7. Photo credit: San Bernardino National Forest

One of the MAFFS C-130s mentioned above, MAFFS 7, crashed on July 1 while working on the White Draw Fire west of Hot Springs, South Dakota, killing four people and injuring two. Recently awards were presented to at least three helitack crew members honoring them for their efforts in the rescue and recovery of the crew members of the C-130. Awards were given to Firefighters Daniel Diaz, Kevin Walters, and pilot Chuck MacFarland from the San Bernardino National Forest. There may also have been awards given to other firefighters that were involved in the incident.

Helicopter 535 from Keenwild Station on the San Bernardino National Forest and a helicopter from Wasatch, which were both assigned to the White Draw Fire, responded to the crash and effected the rescue of the two surviving crew members and initiated the search for the deceased. Media reports at the time said the two survivors were picked up by helicopter from the crash site and flown to the Custer airport approximately 25 miles north of the fire. From there one was flown by a life flight helicopter to a hospital in Rapid City and the other went by ground ambulance to the hospital.

Below is a photo that we shot on June 29 of Helicopter 535 dropping on the White Draw Fire two days before the crash of MAFFS 7.

H-535 dropping on White Draw Fire
H-535 dropping on the White Draw Fire, June 29, 2012. Photo by Bill Gabbert

 

Canadian firefighters helping out in United States

More than 100 firefighers from Canada will be helping to suppress wildfires in the state of Washington. They were expected to arrive on Monday, September 17 to assist the 3,500 firefighters currently working on fires in Washington and Oregon.

Report examines residential wildfire risk in 13 states

The CoreLogic company has released an interesting report that analyzes the residential wildfire risk in 13 states. One fact they point out is that living within a city boundary does not prevent a wildfire from reaching a home, since all it takes is one burning ember that could be transported for thousands of feet before it lands in a gutter full of leaves at an otherwise well-maintained home.

The graphic below from the report was news to me… that in the previous five decades there has been such a significant increase in homes destroyed in wildfires.

Structures destroyed by decade CoreLogic and Blue Ribbon Panel on WUI
Structures destroyed by decade CoreLogic and Blue Ribbon Panel on WUI

USFS Deputy Chief says they do not have enough firefighting resources 

In spite of the annual spring press releases that claim there will plenty of firefighting resources for upcoming season, Jim Hubbard, the US Forest Service Deputy Chief, is quoted in an article in the San Francisco Examiner as saying the agency does not have enough resources to cover long-duration wildfires. This was the reason given for their policy this summer of full suppression of all fires, rather than letting some fires burn through remote areas for weeks or months with only minimum intervention by firefighters.

Air tanker videos from Canada

Josh sent us these videos of air tankers in action in Canada, saying:

The aircraft models in both videos were a mix of the L188 Electra (the quad) and a couple of AT802’s (SEAT). The yellow Electra is Airspray of Edmonton AB (they have 3 on exclusive use with the BCFS), the rest are Conair’s (Abbotsford BC). They also provide several CV580’s (not in these videos) along with one Electra and a group of 802’s.

 

Thanks go out to Ken, Kelly, and Dick