AIR MOBILITY COMMAND WELL DONE AWARD

Presented to THE CREW OF REACH ZERO-THREE-ONE

The Air Force Chief of Safety Well Done Award is presented to the crew of REACH Zero-Three-One in recognition of time-critical actions performed to ensure the safe recovery of their KC-135R aircraft. The aircraft launched out of a European airfield heading to the West oceanic. Three hours into their mission, the crew noticed a rapid fuel level decrease in their forward body fuel tank. A flying crew chief went aft to determine the source of the fuel leak. They observed a significant amount of fuel pooling over the boom sighting window and exiting the aircraft. The crew immediately decided to divert to an island recovery field and initiated emergency checklists. In order to prevent a catastrophic explosion, the crew began turning off all nonessential electronics and radios. They declared an emergency and used a radio relay through a commercial airliner to notify other traffic of their intentions. They utilized non-standard fuel drains and burns to counter the aircraft’s increasingly aft center of gravity. The crew encountered high crosswinds as they safely recovered their stricken aircraft at the divert airfield and egressed on the active runway. The safety awareness and risk management these Airmen exhibited reflect great credit on themselves, Air Mobility Command, and the United States Air Force.