Air Force replaces propellers on C-130Hs, 3 at state base

The Air Force recently took 60 C-130H Hercules airplanes out of service to examine and replace propeller blades that were manufactured before 1971.

Before that year, the propellers were made in a “more manual than automated” process, Lt. Gen. Timothy G. Fay said last week during a hearing of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces.

“The propellers manufactured before 1971 we identified as at risk,” said Fay, who is deputy chief of staff for strategy, integration and requirements for the Air Force. “So we removed those propellers from the fleet. There were about 60 of them that we removed.”

Three of those 60 planes were part of the Arkansas Air National Guard’s 189th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base.

“Working with our wing safety office, the 189th Maintenance Group identified three blades that met the pre-1971 criteria,” according to a statement Tuesday from Maj. William Westendorf of the 189th Airlift Wing. “The blades were promptly removed and replaced. The identified blades were sent off to be examined for damage.

“As of current, none of the blades have been identified as a hazard. The 189th Maintenance Group performs quality assurance checks on a daily basis, ensuring every aircraft and airman is safe during flight.”

Congressman Joe Courtney, D-Conn., chairman of the House subcommittee that met March 14, said the propeller blades have been an issue for some time.

“Air Mobility Command recently acknowledged safety issues with the legacy four-bladed propellers on the C-130H fleet and signed off on a plan to upgrade,” he said during the meeting.

Of the 60 planes that were taken out of service, all were supposed to be back in service by the end of last week, Fay said during the meeting.

The review was prompted by the 2017 crash of a KC130T airplane that killed 15 Marines and a Navy corpsman, according to Military. com.

“A corroded propeller blade — improperly maintained by Air Force maintenance crews in 2011 and later overlooked by the Navy, according to officials — set off a series of events that would result in the KC-130T aircraft coming apart in three pieces before it fell to the ground on July 10, 2017, in a LeFlore County, Mississippi, field, killing all on board,” according to Military.com.