U.S. Northern Command Says Status Of The Aircrew Is Not Known

At approximately 1800 MDT Sunday, a Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System equipped C-130 aircraft supporting fire fighting missions went down in the southwest corner of South Dakota. The aircraft was supporting the efforts against the White Draw Fire.

The cause of the accident is not known. The accident is under investigation, but The United States Northern Command says there are no details on the status of the aircrew available at this time.

MAFFS is a joint DoD and U.S. Forest Service program designed to provide additional aerial firefighting resources when commercial and private airtankers are no longer able to meet the needs of the Forest Service.

MAFFS is a self-contained aerial firefighting system owned by the U.S. Forest Service that can discharge 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in less than 5 seconds, covering an area one-quarter of a mile long by 100 feet wide. Once the load is discharged, it can be refilled in less than 12 minutes.

(USAF File Photo)

FMI: www.northcom.mil