After the F-15, F-16 and A-10 submerged by foam at Eglin AFB, Florida in 2009, and the C-17 at Charleston AFB, South Carolina, last year, here below you can find some pictures of another Air Force’s fire suppression system filling a hangar with foam I received from a member of the 457th Fighter Squadron “Spads”.
They were taken when the 457th FS AFRC (Air Force Reserve Command), from NAS Forth Worth JRB, Texas, was on a TDY (Temporary Deployment) to Portland ANGB, Oregon, in August of 2008 for DACT (Dissimilar Air Combat Training) with the local based 123rd FS of the OR ANG. It was their last day there, they were all packed up and all of a sudden the foam suppression system for the hangar they were operating out of went off.
“Spare parts, computers, and other materials got covered. Our Vipers were out on the flightline. It was a mess, but allowed for us to get a good game of flag football in while the fire folks cleaned it up” the 457th FS’s airman says.
Image courtesy of 457th FS member
It looks like this kind of incident is rather frequent, therefore, what about an in-depth check of all the fire suppression systems before a new “foam party” takes place in one of those hangars sheltering some costly stealth planes?
A test at Ellsworth AFB in August 2005 lasted more than expected (for a human error?) and a B-1 hangar that had to be covered by one meter of foam within four minutes or less was almost filled by the fire suppression system that was allowed to generate foam for the full four minutes.
Related articles
- Foam party! Hangar fire suppression system submerges F-15, F-16 and A-10 in foam at Eglin Air Force Base (theaviationist.com)
- Another foam party! This time at Charleston AFB. Maybe USAF should check its fire suppression systems (theaviationist.com)
- Air Force Accidentally Fills Entire Hangar with Foam [Image Cache] (gizmodo.com)
