3 transports damaged by tornado in Arkansas
Posted 5/6/2011 Updated 5/6/2011
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by Wayne Crenshaw
78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
5/6/2011 - ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- A team of engineers from Robins spent the last week at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., assessing three C-130s damaged by a tornado.
The four-man team from the Aerospace Sustainment Directorate's Tactical Airlift Division evaluated the damage to help officials decide whether to scrap or repair the aircraft.
All three aircraft had significant wing damage, along with some other damage, and the early cost estimate for repairs is $2 million each, said Maj. Gary Goldsmith, tactical airlift chief engineer in ASD. The decision on whether to scrap or repair the aircraft will be made by their owning organization, in this case, Air Force Mobility Command, Goldsmith said.
Two of the aircraft, both 1962 models, are already slated for retirement later this year.
The team, which included Peter Christiansen, 1st Lt. Raquel Salim, Stephen Seiler and Ed Minter, was slated to travel to the base April 27. However, it was delayed a day after an even more intense string of storms clobbered the Southeast.
The team stayed at Little Rock through Tuesday.
The tornado struck Little Rock April 25. In addition to the aircraft, it damaged more than 100 homes on base and many buildings.
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