Lack of Parts Delays Helicopters’ Repair : Marines Expect Tustin’s Grounded Fleet to Be Flying by Mid-June

The Marine Corps now expects to have most of its grounded CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters at the Tustin air station flying by the middle of June, a base spokesman said Friday.

When the fleet of accident-plagued helicopters was taken out of service Feb. 14 because of suspected gearbox problems, military officials at first believed they could have many of the CH-53Es back in the air in a couple of weeks. The Navy and Marines estimated that it would take only 10 hours to replace each of the faulty transmission components, known as “bull gears.”

But the Super Stallions, built by Sikorsky Aircraft, remained grounded at the Tustin Marine Corps Air Station and Camp Lejeune, N.C., because replacement parts were not available. Also, the work took longer than expected because of the limited number of inspectors available to oversee the work, military officials said.

About a dozen Super Stallions based overseas were put back into service earlier this month, Navy officials said.

Of the 93 CH-53Es based around the world, 45 of them are stationed at Tustin. The Super Stallion, which can lift 16 tons or carry 55 fully equipped soldiers, is one of the biggest and most powerful helicopters in the world. Its rotors are turned by three jet engines.

On Thursday, the first of the reworked Super Stallions was tested on the ground and then made a two-hour flight over the base without any reported problems. The gear component in that aircraft, Marine officials said, had been sent back to the manufacturer for inspection, and a replacement gear was installed.

‘Trickle Back’

Lt. Col. Jerry Shelton said that the 45 CH-53Es should “trickle back” into service over the coming weeks and that the entire fleet should be flying again by the middle of June. He said that another aircraft was scheduled for testing Friday and that several more should be ready to fly by next week.

The controversial helicopter, which can cost more than $20 million each, has been criticized by Rep. Robert E. Badham (R-Newport Beach), a ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee. Badham, once a staunch supporter of the Super Stallions, called for the indefinite grounding of the helicopters until the military can prove that a vibration present during heavy external lifts would not shake the aircraft apart.

He told Navy Secretary John Lehman that the CH-53E has experienced a “puzzling string” of 39 mishaps, which claimed the lives of at least 20 Marines and injured 17 others.

Badham, who said the aircraft may have an “inherent design deficiency,” charged that the Navy had been aware of the vibration problem as early as 1976 and done little to correct it.

“It comes as no surprise to me that this aircraft has gained a reputation as a dangerous machine to operate,” Badham told Lehman.

Navy and Marine officials responded to Badham by placing a series of flight restrictions on the helicopter which they say makes it safe to fly.

The aircraft was grounded in February after a flawed gear was discovered at the Sikorsky Aircraft plant in Stratford, Conn.