No Answers Yet in A-10 Groundings

[unhappycamper]

No Answers Yet in A-10 Groundings
October 17, 2008
Arizona Daily Star

Two weeks have passed since dozens of A-10 Thunderbolts were grounded at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., and engineers still haven't figured out how to get them airborne.

More than 40 percent of D-M's fleet of A-10s - nicknamed Warthogs -- have been sidelined since Oct. 3, when the Air Force announced the planes were prone to wing cracks and ordered them to stay put until inspections and repairs took place.

Since then, 34 D-M jets have been inspected, and "all 34 were found to have cracks in the wings," said 1st Lt. Mary Pekas, a base spokeswoman.

A 35th aircraft, identified after the original Air Force order, is still awaiting inspection.

One of the D-M jets with cracked wings "has been deemed flyable" by Air Force engineers because the problem was minor, Pekas said.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/no-answers-yet-in-a10-groundings.html?col=1186032310810