Images show shredded KC-46 boom that led to emergency landing

Images show shredded KC-46 boom that led to emergency landing
By: Defense News Posted On: July 14, 2025 View: 1

A KC-46A Pegasus refueling tanker was forced to conduct an emergency landing July 8 after its refueling boom was shredded in a mishap off the East Coast.

The unofficial Facebook page Air Force amn/nco/snco posted photos of the KC-46 Friday, which showed extensive damage to the plane’s refueling boom. The War Zone first reported the damage to the KC-46.

The photos show most of the boom is ripped off, with its remaining metal ripped and twisted and a chain hanging down. The underside of the plane’s tail was also dented and scraped, which may have occurred from the damaged boom.

John Van Winkle, a spokesperson at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas, confirmed one of the base’s tankers was damaged and pictured in the post.

The KC-46, which is from McConnell’s 22nd Air Refueling Wing, was refueling F-22 Raptors from Joint Base Langley-Eustis that afternoon when the mishap occurred, Van Winkle said. The crew declared an in-flight emergency and landed safely at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina without any injuries, he said. The F-22s returned to their home base.

A safety investigation is now under way, Van Winkle said, and no further details could be released.

Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.

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