May 13, 2004 - Rep. Adam Smith (D-Tacoma) announced today that he has secured $3 million for the AirWeighs system to be installed on the U.S. Air Force C-30 fleet.

Investigators of the crash of an Air Force Special Operations Command C-130 in Afghanistan blame the crash on miscalculated weight and balancing.  The AirWeighs system is an onboard weights and balance system that can improve aircraft safety, improve speed and cost-savings by measuring the actual aircraft weight and center of gravity.

“It is critical that the aircraft in the U.S. Air Force have the most advanced safety systems available,” said Smith. “As we ask our men and women in uniform to put their lives on the front line, we at home must ensure that we are providing them with the best equipment in the world that will bring them home safely.”

Smith requested funding through the 2005 Defense Appropriations bill. It is expected that this bill will be finalized before Congress adjourns this year.