CHP Grounds 7 Planes After Engine Warning
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The California Highway Patrol grounded half of its fleet of 14 airplanes Friday after receiving a warning from the manufacturer about potential problems with the planes’ engines.
The planes, which the agency has been using to patrol dams and other key facilities in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, may be out of service for two weeks, said CHP Commissioner Dwight “Spike” Helmick.
Helmick ordered the seven Cessna planes grounded after receiving a bulletin from Textron Lycoming, the engine manufacturer, warning of potential problems with the crankshafts and instructing that the engines be sent to Pennsylvania for repairs.
The 14 airplanes were purchased about a year ago at a cost of about $7 million, Helmick said.
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