The Air Force has ordered safety inspections for its entire fleets of KC-135 tankers, RC-135 reconnaissance planes, and WC-135 “nuke sniffers” over poorly-made tail pins, preventing aircraft from flying until they are cleared. The Time Compliance Technical Order (TCTO), issued Feb. 14, affects hundreds of aircraft. ...
safety stand down
The Air Force has ordered a safety stand-down for its entire fleet of B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, after an emergency landing damaged one of the billion-dollar planes Dec. 10 at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., and closed the base’s only runway.
Air Force maintainers examining the propellers on C-130H planes used electric arc etching pens to inscribe serial numbers once inspections were complete—and in doing so, likely caused the damage that has forced a grounding of the fleet. That’s the conclusion Air Mobility Command has reached ...
