The US Air Force (USAF) has disclosed that nearly a quarter of its Raytheon T-1A Jayhawk multi-engine trainer aircraft fleet suffered serious damage when a severe hailstorm passed over Laughlin Air Force Base (AFB) in Texas.
One of 10 T-1A Jayhawk trainers assigned to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group for repairs after a hailstorm damaged 39 of the USAF’s fleet of 177 aircraft. (USAF)
The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (AFB) in Arizona disclosed on 25 January that 39 of the USAF’s 177 twin-engined trainers were removed from service for repairs after the event, which is understood to have happened in February 2016. The AMARG noted that it has now completed repairs of the 10 aircraft assigned to it.
“The [AMARG] took on repair for 10 of the aircraft after 39 of them sustained severe hail damage when a storm swept through Laughlin AFB, Texas, one of several bases where the Jayhawk serves as the air force’s advanced trainer for airlift and tanker pilots. The final T-1A to complete repairs returned to Laughlin AFB [on] 17 December 2020,” the group said.
Repairing the hail-damaged aircraft called for stripping the aircraft interior, removing engines, disassembling the nose and aft cargo bay area, shoring, symmetry checks, and removing five critical pressurised skins. Once replacement skins were available for installation, the work was reversed for reassembly, AMARG noted.
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