On July 8, a KC-46A Pegasus refueling tanker had to make an urgent landing after its refueling boom was severely damaged during an incident off the East Coast.

Images of the significantly damaged KC-46 were shared on the informal Facebook page Air Force amn/nco/snco. The images, which were first brought to public attention by The War Zone, depicted the tanker’s refueling boom in a state of extensive destruction.

The photographs revealed that the majority of the boom had been torn away, leaving behind metal that was jagged and contorted, with a chain dangling. Additionally, there were visible dents and scrapes on the underside of the aircraft’s tail, likely caused by the compromised boom.

John Van Winkle, a representative from McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas, verified that the tanker involved was one of their fleet and featured in the images.

Van Winkle explained that the KC-46, assigned to McConnell’s 22nd Air Refueling Wing, was in the process of refueling F-22 Raptors from Joint Base Langley-Eustis when the incident happened. Following the mishap, the crew issued an emergency alert and managed a safe landing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina, without any injuries reported. The F-22s involved were able to return to their base.

He also mentioned that a safety investigation into the incident is currently active, and no additional information is available at this time.