DEFECT GROUNDS MARIJUANA-SEARCHING HELICOPTERS

Drug enforcement teams in Michigan and across the nation fear marijuana
growers might harvest their plants before they can spot them after the Army
National Guard grounded its search helicopters.

A faulty fuel valve forced the National Guard to limit the use of its 250
or so OH-58 scout helicopters nationwide, canceling or postponing most
aerial marijuana searches. For Operation HEMP and police in West Michigan,
it couldn't come at a worse time.

"Last year was not a good growing year," said State Police Lt. Harvey
Jariell, coordinator of Operation HEMP. "And the year before, farmers would
probably agree it was not a good year for growing.

"But this year is a very good year. We had just the right amount of rain
early in the season and a lot of sunshine."

The Michigan Army National Guard grounded its four OH-58 helicopters,
canceling at least 20 flights for Operation HEMP since late July, when the
defect was discovered.

That leaves the program with two State Police helicopters and the
occasional use of Coast Guard choppers.

"We have a reduced flight schedule due to a fewer number of helicopters,
but the operation is continuing," Jariell said. "It's delaying some
missions, but we anticipate all the missions will be taken care of."

The state is using some Civil Air Patrol airplanes, but they are not as
maneuverable.

"It's more difficult because they fly at higher altitudes and at faster
speeds," he said. "And obviously, they can't hover, so it makes it more
difficult."

As a result, he said, Operation HEMP likely is missing some marijuana
plants. "But we don't anticipate we'll get it all anyway," Jariell said.

Despite the delays, Operation HEMP has seized about 36,000 plants this year
- -- up from 20,000 all of last year and 16,000 in 1997. Jariell said the
higher numbers are likely because of the good growing season.

He identified the two most productive areas as Southwest Michigan in the
Kalamazoo area and Northwest Michigan -- Oceana, Mason, Lake and Manistee
counties.

Michigan Army National Guard Capt. Heather Chapman, of the counter-drug
team, said usually at this time of year, two or three Guard helicopters are
flying missions five days a week across the state, she said.

Instead, the choppers are parked in a hangar in Grand Ledge.

Lt. Barry Getzen, head of the Metropolitan Enforcement Team, said his team
spent two days in July flying over Kent County in a National Guard
helicopter. They found 30-40 marijuana plants, he said.

The technical problem has pushed back his team's next marijuana search,
planned in September, by several days, he said.

Nationwide, the National Guard uses about 140 of its 250 OH-58s to search
for drugs, said Capt. Craig Temmer, who manages the Army aviation
counter-drug program for the National Guard Bureau in Washington, D.C. They
are assigned to 48 states and territories.

The Federal Aviation Administration told the National Guard that a spring
in the fuel valve was attracting gas deposits and could eventually break,
leading to engine failure, he said. The valve hasn't led to any engine
problems in the Army, he said.

Department of Defense contractor Allied Signal of Arizona, which makes the
valve, is rebuilding them, Temmer said.

In the meantime, the choppers can fly only simple missions, "from point A
to point B," he said. "Effectively, 95 to 98 percent of our (counter-drug)
mission support is deterred."

He expects Allied Signal to start shipping out the repaired parts to state
National Guard units by late this month. "The states will get theirs in
alphabetical order," he said.