Australia's navy grounds Sea King helicopters

Canberra, May 17: Australia's navy today grounded its fleet of ageing Sea King maritime patrol helicopters over safety concerns similar to those blamed for the crash two years ago of one aircraft in Indonesia.

The fleet of six Sea Kings was suspended from flight operations after a routine maintenance inspection found a safety pin missing from one helicopter.

''Navy takes this matter very seriously and has initiated a full investigation,'' Australian Fleet commander Rear Admiral Davyd Thomas said. ''I will lift the suspension only when I am satisfied that it is appropriate to resume flying, which is expected by the end of the month.'' Nine Australian Defence Force personnel died in April 2005 when a Sea King crashed and burst into flames while flying humanitarian operations on Nias, an island off the coast of Sumatra, after a powerful earthquake.

Only two crew survived the crash, which initial investigations blamed on a missing pin meant to secure a vital bolt in the helicopter's flight controls.

A report into the cause of the crash is expected within months.

The fleet was grounded in the weeks after the accident.

Australia's military has moved to replace the ageing Sea King with a fleet of 46 European-built MRH-90 helicopters for the army and navy at a cost of more than A2 billion dollar (1.6 billion dollar). The first two aircraft are due for delivery this year.

Reuters>