The French civil protection corps is to resume flight operations with its fleet of Bombardier 415 water bombers after inspections failed to uncover any evidence of structural damage.
The French military accident investigation bureau BEAD is investigating the mid-air break-up of a 415 firefighting amphibian on 1 August over the island of Corsica, which resulted in the 10-strong fleet being grounded (Flight International, 9-15 August). Yann Dyevère, the civil protection corps deputy director of operations, says initial studies of the wreckage by Bombardier have uncovered “no evidence of fatigue, corrosion or mechanical failure”.
Dyevère says the fleet will fly with no change to operational procedures, but says pilot error is an open hypothesis, albeit one considered less likely than “an in-flight explosion or an impact” of some kind. Bombardier issued an information bulletin to 415 operators, but no airworthiness directive, service bulletin or procedural change has been recommended.
Source: Flight International
