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Published: 16:51, August 31, 2022
US Army grounds Boeing-made Chinook helicopters fleet
By Reuters
Published:16:51, August 31, 2022 By Reuters

Military personnel catches a football while in the background a Boeing CH-47F Chinook tandem rotor helicopter (Vertol) of the US Army's 101st Airborne Division starts to take off during a demonstration drill at Mihail Kogalniceanu Airbase near Constanta, Romania on July 30, 2022. (DANIEL MIHAILESCU / AFP)

The US Army has temporarily grounded its fleet of about 400 Chinook helicopters due to a risk of engine fires, a spokeswoman told Reuters on Tuesday.

The Army has identified the root cause of fuel leaks that caused a small number of engine fires among an isolated number of H-47 helicopters, and is implementing corrective measures to resolve this issue.

Cynthia O. Smith,

US Army spokeswoman

Planemaker Boeing Co makes the heavy-lift Chinook helicopters that support disaster relief operations and medical evacuation. It is used by international defense forces including those of Italy, South Korea and Canada.

"The Army has identified the root cause of fuel leaks that caused a small number of engine fires among an isolated number of H-47 helicopters, and is implementing corrective measures to resolve this issue," US Army spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith said.

While no deaths or injuries occurred, the grounding was carried "out of an abundance of caution" until those corrective actions are complete, Smith added.

READ MORE: Ex-Boeing employee who warned about 737 problems to testify

The grounding, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, was targeted at certain models with engines manufactured by Honeywell International Inc, according to the report.

Boeing declined to comment and referred questions to the Army. Honeywell did not immediately respond to requests for comment.


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