NOAA G-IV Jet Has Been Out Of Service Since Monday

A NOAA Gulfstream G-IV jet reportedly suffered three technical failures this month, and has been grounded since Monday, according to the agency.

ABC News reports that NOAA has confirmed in an emailed statement that the airplane most recently "experienced a problem with the fuel ignition system on one of its two jet engines, resulting in the cancellation of a hurricane surveillance mission set for 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 24."

The next day, the aircraft developed a leak in a cabin door seal, which had occurred earlier during a flight through hurricane Jose. “The G-IV crew detected a sound indicating a leak in the main cabin door seal, a repeat of an earlier issue thought to have been successfully repaired,” the statement said. The crew immediately scrubbed the mission.

The G-IV is unique in NOAA's fleet ... there is no backup for the airplane. The agency said that the issues that have cropped up are "normal wear and tear with pressurization," but it is not known why they have appeared in such a concentrated time frame.

(Image from file)

FMI: Original Report