Stealth Black Hawks! But it's only another Hangar Foam Party.

[Pops1967GTX]

My buddy sent me this.... Ok who hit the wrong button.....

Fort Drum says there was no damage to six Black Hawk helicopters after a fire suppression system malfunctioned and sprayed foam inside one of the main hangars at Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield.

The system, which pumps foam through ducts in the ceiling of the hangar, malfunctioned around 8:48 a.m. Tuesday, according to Captain Peter Smedberg, public affairs officer for the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade.

Captain Smedberg said the foam is non-corrosive and did not damage the aircraft housed in the hangar.

He said the foam was approximately 8 feet deep.

The helicopters will be washed down and the hanger cleaned up.

Captain Smedberg said an investigation will be conducted to determine what caused the system to activate.

http://www.wwnytv.com/news/ftdrum/F...Suppression-Foam-320636402.html?m=y&smobile=y
http://theaviationist.com/tag/united-states-army/page/2/

 

[super-bee_ski]

We've seen this here at Edwards a couple of times.
And, I have seen it a Nellis, Las Vegas one very windy night.
Why does this happen?
Good question.
The Fire Suppressant system is huge, multiple nozzles pointed in all directions toward parked aircraft.
It's like a "soap detergent" foam.
Supposedly "smothers" a fire.

 

[bigmanjbmopar]

LMAO either some one was smoking or had a bright heat source going or a service tech tripped it by accident. I have installed fire alarms in those types of hangers and it uses flame detection sensors that shoot across the hanger in patterns, they are set to detect the image of flame/fire and react accordingly.

Funny part is there is supposed to be a double interlock system meaning it would have to take two sensors tripping to activate the foam. so someone or thing fucked up royally!

It may have not damaged the aircraft but that cleanup is going to cost the taxpayers or the contractor who did it around $15k to clean up.

 

[super-bee_ski]

Well,
Also power failure HAS triggered it in the past.
The Nellis AND Edwards incidents were not "some one smoking" I can assure you of that.

 

[bigmanjbmopar]

That shouldn't happen, a power failure should not drop a foam system, if it does then it's either set up wrong or faulty equipment. All fire systems have battery back up power by code. so it could happen but only from a system that is not functioning properly which means again someone is not doing their job!

These systems are supposed to be checked and tested for proper function monthly! If not then again someone is ******* up big time.

 

[Budnicks]

Cool stories none the less
& thanks for sharing your knowledge with US guys

 

[Cranky]

Looks like sea foam rolled in.....15k to clean it up is just a gnat on someone's huge *** as far as a burden on tax payers but how many gnats do we have flying around....

 

[5.7 hemi]

Military has it's own code, not state regulated........but there definitely is a major malfunction!!!

 

[snakeyes]

was in it when happened

 

[69a100]

I bet it just got so hot in that hanger with lack of ventilation that tripped it's trigger thinking there's a fire. Still a big fubar to say the least.

 

[shorty64]

was in a contractor's trailer out near the flightline in Albuquerque in about 1969 when one of the younger troops was playing with a heat gun at a workbench and got too close to a Halon system detector. An alarm went off and we looked at each other like "WTF" not knowing 'til later what it was. One of the contractors came racing into the trailer and smacked a reset button and then dressed us down for setting it off. Evidently the very tall cylinder in the corner would have filled the trailer in nothing flat whereupon breathing would be extremely difficult! Oh, there was a 15 second delay to exit the trailer which we of course knew nothing about either. Guess they figured we were smarter than that. Boy did we show them!

Lesson learned!!