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Report: “Incident” between US KC-46 Pegasus and F-16C off the coast of the Netherlands

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F-16 KC-46 incident
Archival photo of an F-16 refueling from a KC-46 Pegasus during testing in 2019 (US Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. John Raven)

Over the air traffic control radio, listeners heard an F-16 pilot report that a piece of his spine had been torn out during refueling operations with a KC-46 due to a stall incident that came too close.

On June 27, 2024, an incident occurred off the coast of the Netherlands during the refueling of a new US Air Force KC-46 Pegasus tanker aircraft and an F-16.

The incident was first reported by our friend @EHEH_Spotter He posted portions of radio traffic intercepted on the boom freq (the frequency the boom operator uses to give instructions to the receivers), as well as on the F-16’s air-to-air and OPS frequencies.

The audio is pretty clear: An F-16C with the radio call sign “WARHAWK 3” sustained “door damage” and also radioed that “a piece of the spine was torn off due to a fracture that occurred in an accident.” Additional radio reports said that “KANZA 91,” the call sign of the KC-46, was “damaged and unable to refuel.” Another aircraft was asked to do a visual inspection of the KC-46 to see if there were any “cables flying out of the tail of the aircraft.”

After the incident, WARHAWK1 continued its mission while WARHAWK3 (due to the fuel filler flap problem) and WARHAWK2 returned to Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany.

The story is now receiving widespread attention as it is confirmed by a report by Chris Gordon published in Air & Space Forces magazine on June 28, 2024.

Gordon wrote: “The aircraft involved were an F-16 assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany and a KC-46A from the 931st Air Refueling Squadron, an Air Force reserve unit based at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas that was deployed to Europe, a 52nd Fighter Wing spokesman told Air & Space Forces Magazine.”

The 52nd Fighter Wing, which includes the F-16 involved in the incident, issued the standard confirmation that the incident was “under investigation.” However, the Air Force did not provide any details about the damage to the aircraft.

Flight tracking data cited in Chris Gordon’s report shows that the KC-46 circled near Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany at an altitude of about 8,000 feet (2,440 meters) for nearly an hour before landing at the base four hours after beginning its training mission.

Gordon further elaborates on his report by saying that the two aircraft were part of a joint exercise with the Dutch Air Force. A spokesman for the 52nd Fighter Wing quoted by Gordon said: “The aircraft incident had no impact on Exercise Turbo Weasel, an incredible training opportunity between the U.S. and Dutch Air Forces that took place the week of June 24-28.”

While the circumstances of this incident remain the focus of official investigations, the KC-46 Pegasus program has been widely criticized in media reports about the development and deployment of the new-generation tanker and transport aircraft. As Gordon reports, the Boeing-manufactured KC-46 had significant problems with its refueling system. The Air Force and Boeing are working to fix several Category I defects, including a “stiff” boom and problems with the Remote Vision System (RVS), which suffers from visibility issues under certain conditions such as direct sunlight. These problems can affect the boom operator’s depth perception and increase the risk of accidental collisions during refueling.

Nevertheless, AAR accidents can occur (and do occur from time to time) and these are not necessarily due to a defect in the tanker.

Archive photo of the KC-46 Pegasus tanker taken at Edwards AFB (Photo: Tom Demerly/TheAviationist.com)

A “risky” operation

Aerial refueling always involves significant risks and has resulted in notable incidents in the past due to a variety of factors, including mechanical failures, human error and adverse weather conditions.

A rather famous incident occurred on October 15, 1959, when a B-52F and a KC-135A collided during an aerial refueling mission over Hardinsburg, Kentucky. The incident was part of the 4228th Strategic Wing’s STEEL TRAP mission. The collision resulted in a massive fireball and the deaths of several crew members, although some were able to eject safely. Debris from the aircraft was scattered over a wide area, but fortunately there were no casualties on the ground.

Another incident occurred on January 17, 1966, when a B-52G collided with a KC-135 Stratotanker during an aerial refueling over the Mediterranean Sea near the Spanish coast. Both aircraft exploded in mid-air, killing seven crew members. This incident is famous because the Stratofortress was carrying four B28 thermonuclear weapons, three of which struck land near Palomares: two of them caused a non-nuclear TNT explosion, but released radioactive plutonium upon impact with land. The fourth bomb was lost in the Mediterranean Sea and was found unexploded on March 17 at a depth of 2,550 feet; it was not recovered until April 7 by some U.S. Navy ships.

A notable incident involving aircraft using the probe and drogue system occurred in October 2018, when a KC-130J Hercules collided with an F/A-18D Hornet off the coast of Japan. The collision killed six U.S. Marines. The investigation found that spatial disorientation played a key role, exacerbated by the difficult nighttime conditions and the complexity of the refueling operation.

Another high-profile incident occurred on September 29, 2020, when a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B, call sign VOLT 93, of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121 “Green Knights,” and a KC-130J, flying as RAIDER 50 and belonging to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 352 “Raiders,” came into contact with each other during AAR operations. The F-35B pilot managed to bail out of the Lightning II (and video of the jet crashing in the desert near Coachella Valley, California, made the rounds), while the KC-130J pilot managed to make a safe crash landing in a field near Thermal Airport, California. The KC-130J pilot made a successful crash landing despite significant damage to the right wing engines and fuel tank capsule, saving the lives of all crew members who assisted him during the emergency. For his life-saving actions, the pilot, Captain Michael Wolff of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, received the Distinguished Flying Cross from Major General Bradford J. Gering, commanding general of the 3rd MAW, the U.S. Marine Corps said in a public statement.

Of course, such accidents also happen to foreign air forces: On July 27, 2012, for example, an Israeli F-16I was on a routine training mission when the tanker’s boom hit the cockpit, damaging the F-16’s HUD (head-up display) and the boom. The pilot was then forced to make an emergency landing at Ovda Air Base near Eilat.

These accidents often occur due to the complexity and delicate nature of AAR operations. Mechanical failures, such as boom or probe malfunctions, can have catastrophic consequences if not addressed promptly. Human error is another important factor, as pilots and boom operators must perform precise maneuvers, sometimes under stressful conditions such as poor visibility or turbulence. In addition, the physical stresses on the aircraft and refueling hardware can cause wear and tear, leading to unexpected failures.

Archive photo of the KC-46 Pegasus tanker taken at Edwards AFB (Photo: Tom Demerly/TheAviationist.com)

“I’m not sure I would call aerial refueling (AAR) itself risky. I thought more of it as being about paying close attention to the small but significant changes that take place as you approach the drogue, engage it, and then maintain your position,” former USMC F-4 Phantom II pilot, combat veteran, author, and Stanford graduate John Trotti told us about aerial refueling with the probe and drogue system used by U.S. Navy aircraft (which is different from the U.S. Air Force’s “flying boom”).

David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the founder and editor of The Aviationist, one of the world’s most popular and widely read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major international magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the US, Europe, Australia and Syria and flown several combat aircraft from various air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. in the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in computer engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more.

Tom Demerly is a feature writer, journalist, photographer and editorial writer whose articles have been published worldwide on TheAviationist.com, TACAIRNET.com, Outside Magazine, Business Insider, We Are The Mighty, The Dearborn Press & Guide, National Interest, Russia’s state-owned media company Sputnik, and many other publications. Demerly studied journalism at Henry Ford College in Dearborn, Michigan. Tom Demerly served as a member of the U.S. Army and Michigan National Guard in an intelligence unit. His military experience includes an honors graduation from the U.S. Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia (Cycle C-6-1) and serving as a Scout Observer in a Reconnaissance Unit, Company “F,” 425th INF (RANGER/AIRBORNE), Long Range Surveillance Unit (LRSU). Demerly is an experienced skydiver, holds advanced scuba certifications, has climbed the highest mountains on three continents and visited all seven continents, and has flown several types of light aircraft.

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