Marines Plan Fixes to Maintenance Procedures

Officials from the U.S. Marine Corps are pledging to make changes to repair, maintenance and air safety rules in response to a crash in December that resulted in fatalities on the ground. According to investigators, a fuel system glitch was discovered in July 2008 on the F/A-18D that eventually crashed on Dec. 8. After mechanics found the problem in July, the fuel system issue was not fixed and the aircraft was allowed to fly 166 more flight hours before it crashed. Col. John Rupp, operations officer for the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Miramar MCAS, told the San Diego Union-Tribune that officials have thrown out “ambiguous” procedures and intend to overhaul maintenance and safety rules. Included in the changes is a larger focus on troubleshooting minor problems before they escalate and more realistic emergency training for pilots.
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