Crack in wing of slurry bomber prompts inspections

The discovery of a two-foot-long crack in the wing of a Missoula-based aerial tanker airplane prompted mandatory inspections of all similar planes that contract with the U.S. Forest Service for firefighting duty.

Neptune Aviation President Dan Snyder told the Missoulian ( http://bit.ly/yj7efn) Wednesday that the company found a significant crack in the wing of one of its Korean War-era P2V airplanes during a winter maintenance check. He says the cause is unknown.

On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered the owners and operators of similar Lockheed-manufactured airplanes to inspect them for cracks and make any repairs necessary. The directive affects five other companies besides Neptune. The U.S. Forest Service wants planes available for forest fire fighting by Feb. 15 this year, compared to March 18 last year. ___ Information from: Missoulian, http://www.missoulian.com