U.S. Army Grounds Fleet of CH-47 Chinooks Because of Engine Fire Risk

About 400 heavy-lift helicopters were grounded ‘out of an abundance of caution,’ the Army says.

Wednesday, August 31, 2022 at 12:40 PM ET

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Honeywell said O-rings not meeting design specifications had been installed in Honeywell T55 engines aboard CH-47 Chinooks. [Courtesy: U.S. Army/Master Sgt. Ryan C. Matson]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Army has temporarily grounded its entire fleet of approximately 400 CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters due to engine fires caused by fuel leaks.
The problem was identified as faulty O-rings, which did not meet design specifications, installed in Honeywell T55 turboshaft engines during routine maintenance.
This precautionary measure was taken as the Army implements corrective actions, with no deaths or injuries reported, and Honeywell assisting in identifying and replacing the affected parts.

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The U.S. Army has temporarily grounded its entire fleet of Boeing (NYSE: BA) CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters “out of an abundance of caution” after discovering the installation of a faulty part has caused fuel leaks that led to engine fires.

The issue was caused by the installation of a part that did not meet design specifications in some Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) T55 Turboshaft engines during routine maintenance, the OEM said Tuesday evening.