Leak forced craft’s emergency landing

under freedom of information legislation says air crew noticed red fluid dripping from the ceiling and a warning light went off.

The helicopter landed in a gravel lot near a Sobeys grocery store in the Halifax suburb of Bedford in midafternoon.

The five-person crew wasn’t hurt but workers in a nearby pharmacy and dental observed under one the O-ring.”

It says “a slight deformation of the packing and the resulting small leak over an extended time period is the most probable cause of the primary hydraulic system failure.”

Maj. Mark Shelden, a flight safety officer, said the aircraft has a backup system for hydraulic fluids flowing to the rotor, so the pilots faced no risk of a crash as they landed the aircraft.

“Imagine your car with two power steering systems in it. If one of them failed, the other one will still do the job,” he said in an interview.

Attempts by the federal government to replace the military’s aging Sea Kings have been repeatedly delayed. The military is still waiting for new helicopters from Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., which was selected nine years ago to supply 28 helicopters.

A $5.9-billion contract to acquire the CH-148 Cyclones was signed by the government in 2004, a milestone event in a two-decade search to find a replacement for the CH-124 Sea Kings after former prime minister Jean Chretien cancelled a deal to replace the choppers in 1993.

Maj. Shelden said the Oring failure last November and the leak of about 1.5 litres of hydraulic fluid aren’t a serious concern.

“Considering the number of hours we put on these aircraft every year, four [incidents] since 2000 is pretty good,” he said, adding that each of the Sea Kings flies about 300 hours a year.

He said the aircraft’s maintenance team properly fitted the O-ring, and safety officers concluded that existing inspections and procedures are adequate.

“I really have no concerns about this at all. It’s an airworthy aircraft,” he said.

“The Sea King has a proud record. It has an enviable record. Considering what we’ve asked it to do for 50 years, I think s h e’s performed very well.”

side of