Military repairing cracks in the tails of 19 CH-148 Cyclone maritime helicopters

HALIFAX —
The Canadian military says it has discovered cracks in the tails of 19 of its 23 Cyclone maritime helicopters.

The Royal Canadian Air Force initially issued an emailed statement today saying cracks had been detected in four helicopters, but that number jumped to 19 later in the day.

The Air Force says the Sikorsky-made aircraft have not been grounded or placed on an operational pause.

Tail cracks were first detected in a helicopter during a routine inspection on Nov. 26 at 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron, based in Patricia Bay, B.C.

The military also confirmed that two CH-148 Cyclones do not appear to have any defects, and the remaining two are receiving longer-term maintenance and will be inspected at a later date.

The “maintenance issue” has had an impact on Operation LENTUS, the military’s effort to help those affected by the widespread flooding in British Columbia.

The military has deployed other aircraft to fill the gap, as has the province and other emergency response partners.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2021.