mammothairportnightMammoth-Yosemite Airport is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration with regards to foam in a safety vehicle, airport manager Bill Manning confirmed.

A former Mammoth-Yosemite Airport employee, Doug Kriese, informed the FAA about what he considered a breach of protocol in December, 2010 with the ARFF (Aircraft Rescue Firefighting vehicle).

Kriese said after a training exercise in which airport personnel practiced with the vehicle, there wasn’t enough AFFF (Aqueous film forming foam) to properly replenish the firefighting vehicle.

Kriese said he was eventually let go from his job as airport maintenance coordinator after his job-probation period ended; he later filed the allegations with the FAA.

Manning said since a formal complaint was filed, the FAA has to investigate. Manning said he could not comment on the record since it is an on-going formal investigation, except to say, “We have notified the FAA that we have always been in compliance with FAA regulations.”

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said he could not comment or discuss details of an impending or on-going investigation.

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