The Port Alberni-based Hawaii Mars water bomber was damaged Friday after hitting rocks in a Wisconsin lake, its owner says.
Wayne Coulson said the plane was scooping water out of Lake Winnebago as part of a demonstration drop at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh airshow when an engine warning light came on. The takeoff was aborted. As the plane was heading back to shore, it struck rocks. A diver found two holes about 7.5 centimetres in diameter, he said.
A team member in Port Alberni went out to the Philippine Mars on Saturday, Coulson said. “We designed a patch drawing that was sent to the Oshkosh team and will be manufactured overnight and will be installed [Sunday] morning.”
The engine problem has been fixed, he said.
Coulson hopes the aircraft will be able to depart for Sproat Lake on Monday.
