PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – A Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System aircraft under the control of U.S. Northern Command experienced a hard landing at 1 p.m. MDT today at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
The aircraft was on a fire-fighting mission when the aircrew became aware of a potential malfunction of the nose landing gear. The crew executed an emergency landing at Hill AFB and the aircraft sustained damage upon landing which included a small fire. No one was injured.
The aircraft belongs to the Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing located in Cheyenne, Wyo.
Since July 20 of this year, DoD aircraft have conducted 131 air drops and discharged more than 244,000 gallons of retardant.
USNORTHCOM provides DOD capabilities for disaster response operations in support of the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, NIFC, and state and local officials. The command also continues to closely monitor wildfires to anticipate additional requests for DoD assistance.
Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard C-130 aircraft assigned to units in California, Colorado, North Carolina and Wyoming are capable of dropping fire retardant using C-130 aircraft and U.S. Forest Service supplied MAFFS units. Aircrews, maintenance crews and support personnel undergo special NIFC training and certification to perform these missions each year.
U.S. Northern Command, established in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, is responsible for Homeland Defense and Defense Support of Civil Authorities.