Air Force KC-46 Tanker Makes Emergency Landing After Refueling Boom Malfunctions (Video)

A U.S. Air Force KC-46A Pegasus aircraft carrying congressional staff members had to make an emergency landing after a technical snag left its refueling boom dangling beneath the fuselage. The video showing the aircraft landing with its boom scraping along the runway went viral after the incident.

A boom is a rigid fuel pipe flexibly joined to the tail of a tanker airplane that is inserted into a receptacle on the receiving aircraft during aerial refueling.

The tanker in question belonged to the 157th Air Refueling Wing from the Pease Air National Guard Base in New Hampshire, reported The Drive.

The aircraft was taking part in an "orientation flight" along with a similar KC-46A. The program aimed to give interested individuals an opportunity to fly in U.S. Air Force aircraft so that they can get a unique insight into its flying capabilities.

However, things did not go as planned. According to a statement from the 157th Air Refueling Wing, the orientation flights of two KC-46 jets were flying a congressional delegation of 16 staffers from the offices of U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan and Representatives Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas.

"During the flight, one of the KC-46s experienced a problem with its refueling boom hoist cable, which resulted in the aircraft landing with the boom extended. Emergency services from the 305th Air Mobility Wing responded and safely secured the scene, with no fire or injuries to crew or passengers," the statement added.

The report added that the tanker affected by the issue was redirected to Joint Base McGuire Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey while the other KC-46A involved in the orientation flight was then diverted to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in New Hampshire. Another KC-46A tanker, which was en route from Florida at the time, was diverted to Joint Base McGuire Dix-Lakehurst to transport the congressional delegation back to New Hampshire.

All aircraft were said to have landed safely, and nobody was hurt.

According to The Drive, the KC-46A that suffered the snag was recently in news for receiving a "patriotic new look" to honor the U.S. Air Force's 75th birthday, as well as the 400th anniversary of the founding of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

However, the malfunction has cast a shadow over the technical efficiency of the tankers. "These are very rare events, maybe one every five years. Drogues are a bit more common," said Robert Hopkins, a veteran C-135 pilot told The Drive when asked about the issues plaguing tankers.