By Tatiana Prophet
Daily Press
Copyright 2007 Daily Press
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News
 
VICTORVILLE, Calif. — Mechanics at Southern California Logistics Airport are nearly finished repairing the 10 Tanker, a firefighting jumbo jet based here that had a mishap in the air last month.

"We've been working round the clock, and we're very close," said Rick Hatton, principal with San Carlos-based Cargo Conversions LLC, which owns the plane.

He added that the plane could perform a test flight as early as Tuesday.

"We're very fortunate that the damage can be repaired, most of it, by the moving and replacing of the items that are movable surfaces on the wing," he said.

Right now, the company is working on converting a second DC-10 into a fire tanker for the 2008 season, Hatton said.

On June 25, the tanker experienced severe turbulence and descended rapidly while fighting the White Fire in Tehachapi, skimming the tops of several trees before the pilot gunned the engine to get it back to 11,000 feet, according to the preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

"The airplane sustained substantial damage," stated the report. "Cursory examination of the airplane revealed damage to the left wing leading edge, and to control surfaces which included the outboard aileron."

Hatton's company is providing the plane on a contract basis to the state's fire agency, CAL FIRE, at about $5 million per year. But he is not getting paid while the aircraft is grounded.

"It's been challenging, but we're very thankful that firstly and foremost, nobody was hurt," Hatton said.