THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 22, 1996 TAG: 9606220242
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DALE EISMAN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: 40 lines
The first of nearly 200 Navy and Marine Corps helicopters grounded for checks of a critical part of their main rotor assemblies will be returned to service next week, the Navy said Friday.
Initial checks of duplex bearings in the swashplate assemblies of the Marine CH-53E Super Stallions and Navy MH-53E Sea Dragons found minor deviations from factory specifications in some of the parts, said Lt. Greg Giesen, a Navy spokesman.
The deviations were not considered a threat to safety, but Giesen said the assemblies involved are being repaired to again meet specifications. It is unclear how long it will take to inspect and repair all of the aircraft.
The initial repair work is being done by Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., the helicopters' manufacturer. Giesen said a repair procedure is being developed that may allow Navy crews to do the work as well.
The swashplate assembly has been described as similar to two pie plates, stacked one atop the other with bearings in between. The bottom plate is fixed; the top rotates on the bearings. The assembly also contains controls involved in adjusting the pitch of the rotor.
Located at the bottom of the main rotor assembly, the swashplate was identified as an ``area of concern'' in the helicopters after the crash May 9 of a Marine H-53E that was undergoing a flight check in preparation for delivery to the White House. An exact cause of the crash has not been announced.
All four crew members were killed in the accident, which occurred near a Sikorsky factory in Stratford, Conn. Though the helicopter was being readied for the White House fleet, it would not have been used to carry the first family.
While the H-53E models are out of service, the Navy and Marines are using other helicopters in their inventories to handle heavy lift jobs. Each of the $24 million Sea Dragons and Super Stallions can be outfitted to carry cargo or up to 55 troops to underway ships.
KEYWORDS: HELICOPTERS U.S. NAVY U.S. MARINE CORPS by CNB