Safety studies ordered where pilot sparked fire

[unhappycamper]

A fire truck rolls past two burned homes in a housing development in Barnegat, N.J., on May 16.


Safety studies ordered where pilot sparked fire
Matt Pais - Asbury Park (N.J.) Press
Posted : Wednesday Feb 6, 2008 17:00:33 EST

The Air Force will be required to perform formal studies of safety measures at the Warren Grove Gunnery Range in New Jersey as part of the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act signed into law Jan. 29.

The studies — which will include annual reports through 2010 and a master plan for the range to be submitted in 180 days — were written into the funding bill by Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, D-N.J., because a pilot accidentally touched off a major forest fire in May.

Ignited by an errant flare from an F-16 fighter jet during a training mission, the fire scorched an estimated 18,000 acres of New Jersey forest and damaged four homes. Thousands of residents in Stafford and Barnegat evacuated their homes as firefighters battled the blaze for three days.

An internal Air Force review of the incident found pilot error and poor communication protocols at the range were at fault for the use of a flare when the danger of fire was high.

The safety report is to be presented to congressional defense committees by the secretary of the Air Force no later than March 1. Similar reports must be presented to Congress in 2009 and 2010. The Air Force must also craft a master plan for the range by the end of July.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/02/airforce_gunneryrange_forestfire_080206w/