The Nation - News from Jan. 31, 1986
The Army grounded all of its new Apache gunship helicopters as a precaution after cracks were found on 13 main rotor blades, some of them on test aircraft, the Pentagon said. In a brief statement, the Pentagon said the Army issued the grounding order “as a precautionary measure. . . . There have been no accidents related to the main rotor blade.” The service has also decided to suspend the acceptance of any more Apaches from the manufacturer, McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Co. of Mesa, Ariz., pending the results of an investigation. The AH-64 Apache, is the successor to the Huey Cobra of Vietnam.
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